Department for Transport

Taxis: Licensing

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the the task and finish group on Taxi and Private Hire vehicle licensing plans to report on its findings.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Licensing has now submitted its report. Ministers are considering the recommendations made, the report and response will be published soon.

Railways: Electrification

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with rail operators to ensure that the electrification of the Preston to Manchester via Bolton line experiences no delays.

Joseph Johnson: Officials at the Department meet regularly with Network Rail to receive updates on progress to upgrade the route between Manchester and Preston via Bolton. Network Rail are on target to complete the scheme by the end of this year.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Compensation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to his Department has been of the compensation payments to customers made by Govia Thameslink Railway in relation to its rail franchises in the last 12 months.

Joseph Johnson: The total cost of compensation payments was £6.6m in the 12 months up to 21 July, the latest date for which data is available. The disruption suffered by passengers on Thameslink and Great Northern services following the May timetable change was completely unacceptable. The railway industry is funding a special compensation scheme which will provide the most affected season, daily and carnet ticket holders with compensation for this disruption. The Department is reviewing GTR’s compliance with its contractual obligations, and if it is found that GTR are in breach of their contract then we will take appropriate action.

East Coast Railway Line

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the £780 million investment in the East Coast Main Line announced on 23 July 2018, whether that funding has been ring-fenced for investment in that line; to what specific projects that funding is planned to be allocated; and what the timetable is for each of those projects so funded.

Joseph Johnson: The investment of up to £780m in the East Coast Main Line will deliver power supply upgrades between Doncaster and Edinburgh, a new rail junction near Peterborough, a new platform at Stevenage Station and improvements to the track layout at King’s Cross Station. These upgrades will all be completed in the early 2020s.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Technology and Innovation Centres: Finance

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 82 of the Industrial Strategy, when he plans to agree long-term funding for the Catapult Network.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We announced long-term funding on 10 August, an additional £780 million to expand catapult centres which are fueling innovation across the country as part of the UK’s ambitious Industrial Strategy. This new funding backs Britain’s brightest talent – supporting work in high-tech labs, cutting edge factories and advanced training centres. This build on £180 million announced by my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister for centres in the North East last month, taking the total of funding to almost £1 billion.

Innovation and Research

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 89 of the Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has launched the new international research and innovation strategy.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fuels: Prices

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the introduction on an independent fuel price monitoring body.

Claire Perry: The Government believes that it is essential that consumers get a fair deal and that a competitive market is the best way to keep prices low. The Office of Fair Trading last looked at fuel prices in 2013, and I expect its successor, the Competition and Markets Authority, to keep them under review. The Department continues to monitor fuel prices and publishes weekly reports at www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/oil-and-petroleum-products-weekly-statistics. BEIS analysis is that changes in the price of crude oil are the main driver of changes in the national average retail prices of petrol and diesel and both rises and falls in crude oil price reach the pumps within 7 weeks. The Government does not believe that a monitoring body is necessary.

Land Registry: Private Sector

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Land Registry: moving operations to the private sector public consultation, published in March 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government will be publishing its response to the consultation HM Land Registry: Moving operations to the private sector shortly. I will send a copy to the hon. Member once it is published.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Meetings

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings have taken place between officials of his Department and representatives of (a) CER, (b) the CBI, (c) the Institute of Directors, (d) Greenpeace, (e) Oxfam, (f) Friends of the Earth, (g) British Chambers of Commerce, (h) Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and (i) the EEF in the last twelve months.

Richard Harrington: Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. These can be found at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bis-quarterly-publications-april-to-june-2012#2016 Details of meetings with officials is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish his policy proposals for rooftop solar after the closure of the Feed-In Tariffs Scheme in 2019.

Claire Perry: On 19 July, Government published a Call for Evidence to understand further the challenges and opportunities for small-scale low-carbon generation – including rooftop solar. The Call for Evidence closed on 30 August and a response from government will be provided in due course thereafter. All evidence submitted will be considered and used to inform any future policy proposals

Property

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to bring forward a property sector deal.

Richard Harrington: Several sectors, including the property sector, have expressed interest in a Sector Deal and we expect to progress with further deals that best meet the expectations set out in the White Paper in due course. We continue to work with businesses and local authorities across the country to support the development of a resilient housing and commercial building sector.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

West Bank: Violence

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of violence carried out by settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank; and what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on that violence.

Alistair Burt: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is concerned by reports that settler violence has increased in 2018 compared to 2017. The Government condemns any violence by settlers against Palestinians. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue of settler violence with the Israeli authorities on 22 May 2018. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to tackle settler violence, and urge thorough investigation of every instance to bring those responsible to justice. We have also stressed the importance of Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.

Colombia: Human Rights

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Colombian counterpart on the killing of nine Colombian human rights defenders in the first week of June 2018.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are concerned about reports of increasing violence against human rights defenders and social activists in Colombia. Illegal armed groups are responsible for the majority of these attacks. In response, I welcome the recent commitment by both President Santos and President-elect Duque to new special protective measures for social leaders, especially in rural areas.

Colombia: Human Rights

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to encourage the Government in Colombia to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to visit that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: We encourage the Colombian Government to invite the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to visit Colombia.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Colombia on the escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Chocó.

Sir Alan Duncan: The British Embassy in Bogota has raised the situation in Choco with the Colombian authorities.In September 2017, members of the British Embassy in Bogota accompanied a UK delegation including Baroness Coussins on a visit to Choco, organised by the NGO ABColombia.The FCO worked closely with NGOs in preparation for Colombia's Universal Periodic Review at Geneva in May, raising concerns about violence against human rights defenders and conflict related sexual violence.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic (a) assistance and (b) support the Government has provided to the Government of Colombia to (a) tackle sexual violence being used by armed actors against the population in Chocó and (b) comply with the safeguards and commitments set out in the Ethnic Chapter in the Peace Accord.

Sir Alan Duncan: In Choco, programmes supported by our Embassy in Bogota have supported female human rights defenders to gain access to justice and women's rights. More widely in Colombia, for FY 2018/19 the Embassy has allocated over £400k from the Global Britain Fund to support the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative in Colombia.The UK supports the Ethnic Chapter of the peace deal, funding the creation – via the UN trust fund – of a body to monitor oversight of implementation of this specific chapter.The UK has also financed a project implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), to create regional groups from ethnic communities to design specific indicators that will help assess the implementation of this specific chapter.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic support the UK Government has provided to the (a) Sisma Mujer and (b) Somos Defensores organisations in Colombia; and what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of those organisations on the (i) military and (ii) security threats made against those organisations.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are aware of the list of 'military targets' announced by the group that calls itself the Aguilas Negras 'Black Eagles'. As well as NGO's, the list also includes prominent politicians and human rights defenders. The British Embassy in Bogota will discuss any specific threats with our project partners.

Colombia: Internally Displaced People

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with counterparts at the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation of internally displaced people in Colombia.

Sir Alan Duncan: Colombia's 52 year conflict has claimed over 8 million victims including more than 7 million displaced persons. In recent years, only the conflict in Syria has seen a larger number of IDPs caused by internal conflict.Speaking times at the Human Rights Council are limited, so it is impossible to cover every country of concern in the UK intervention. On this occasion, the UK chose to prioritise raising Iraq, Syria, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the situation for IDPs had deteriorated significantly during recent months.

Colombia: Overseas Aid

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government provides for projects and programmes in the Orinoquia region of Colombia.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK supports two programmes in the Orinoquia region of Colombia which are managed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The first programme, known as 'Ganaderia Colombiana Sostenible' aims to increase the sustainability of cattle ranching. It does this by working with small and medium sized farmers to restore degraded land by integrating cattle ranching with tree planting.The second programme, called the 'BioCarbon Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes' aims to reduce emissions from the land sector through smarter land-use planning, policies, and practices. It works with a wide range of farming and forestry enterprises and community projects.

Boris Johnson

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether arrangements have been made for the right hon. Member for Uxbridge to pay rent on grace and favour apartments after 9 July 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office pays the annual rental on 1 Carlton Gardens under a longstanding lease arrangement with the Crown Estate. Foreign Secretaries do not pay rent while living in 1 Carlton Gardens, they pay for the running costs of the private living area, for example council tax and utilities. The former Foreign Secretary paid these costs throughout his time in the property, including the period from 9 July until he left on 31 July. There was no additional cost to the taxpayer incurred in this period.

India: Animal Welfare

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Indian Government on reports of abuse and neglect in equine serum facilities in India; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​There are a number of NGOs who are working hard in this field. Our diplomatic network in India is involved fully in efforts to combat international wildlife trade. Their work does not extend to broader animal welfare issues however, and we have not made representations to the Indian government on this issue.

Qatar: Working Conditions

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Emir of Qatar on improving working conditions and valuing the human rights of workers in Qatar.

Alistair Burt: Ministers were able to discuss a range of issues with His Highness the Amir of Qatar during his visit in July. Qatar has made significant progress to improve the situation for its migrant workers since it won the right to host the World Cup. The International Labour Organisation opened an office in Doha this year to work with Qatar on migrant workers’ rights. The issue of conditions for migrant workers in Qatar is one we regularly raise with our counterparts and we are ready to offer further support to Qatar in its efforts.​

Nature Conservation: Seas and Oceans

Rebecca Pow: What his policy is on global ocean conservation.

Scott Mann: What his policy is on global ocean conservation.

Sir Alan Duncan: A new International Ocean Strategy was announced in June this year. When published it will underpin the UK’s leading role on marine protection. It will also provide this Government with a blueprint for international action that will support the long-term prosperity of the UK and our long-term commitment to protect the health of the marine environment.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Clive Efford: What recent discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on the peace process in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Prime Minister confirmed the UK’s full support to the peace process during her phone call with the new Colombian President on 9 August. The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Holmes also discussed UN Security Council support to peace in Colombia when they met in New York on 24 August.

Syria: Conflict Resolution

Ruth Cadbury: What political and diplomatic steps he is taking to help resolve the conflict in Syria.

Jeff Smith: What political and diplomatic steps he is taking to help resolve the conflict in Syria.

Alistair Burt: We need a negotiated political settlement to end the Syrian conflict. The UK is pragmatic about the nature of that settlement. We continue to work closely with the UN, international partners and Syrian opposition in support of the UN-led Geneva process to achieve it.

Northern Ireland Office

Political Parties: Northern Ireland

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165163 on Political Parties: Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) controls and (b) transparency regulations on donations from the (i) the US and (ii) other countries outside of the UK and the Republic of Ireland to political parties in Northern Ireland.

Mr Shailesh Vara: There is a range of legislation that sets out the rules for donations and loans, credit facilities and securities given to political parties in Northern Ireland. The Electoral Commission regulates compliance with the permissibility rules and has published detailed quarterly data about donations and loans in Northern Ireland since July 2017. The Government remains committed to reviewing the operation of the broader framework for donations and loans in Northern Ireland once the current regime has fully bedded in. Transparency of donations and loans from the US and other countries outside the UK and Ireland will be part of that review.

Department of Health and Social Care

European Medicines Agency

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK retains its medical scientists after the European Medicines Agency moves from London to Amsterdam.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Prime Minister set out in her Mansion House speech that: “The UK is committed to establishing a far-reaching science and innovation pact with the EU, facilitating the exchange of ideas and researchers. This would enable the UK to participate in key programmes alongside our EU partners.” The recent Government White Paper sets out: “The UK and the EU have already reached an agreement on citizens’ rights which provides EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU before the end of the implementation period with certainty about their rights going forward. Individuals will continue to be able to move, live and work on the same basis as now up until the end of December 2020.” We recognise that the location of the European Union’s agencies is a matter for the European Union. In seeking a new future economic partnership with the EU, we will discuss how best to continue cooperation in the field of medicines regulation, in the best interests of patients, citizens and business, both in the United Kingdom and the EU. Until we have left the EU, the UK remains a member of the EU with all the rights and obligations that membership entails, including full participation in the activities of the Agencies.

Mental Illness: Surveys

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2018 to Question 164389, what proportion of applications to use Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014 data received a decision more than three months after  submission in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital has advised that, as of 23 July 2018, two out of 10 (20%) of the applications submitted to NHS Digital for Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014 data had received a final decision more than three months after submission. This includes any time taken for the customer to provide additional information required. This figure does not include applications still in progress or those not being progressed by the customer.

East Cheshire NHS Trust

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what amount of revenue funding allocated to the East Cheshire NHS Trust for 2017-2018 under the Cheshire and Merseyside sustainability and transformation partnership process has been paid.

Stephen Barclay: National Health Service providers (NHS trusts and foundation trusts) fund their spending via income received from NHS commissioners in return for the provision of healthcare services to their local population. They do not receive funding allocations via their sustainability and transformation partnership. They do receive payments from the Sustainability and Transformation Fund, which rewards NHS providers for achieving their own individual finance and performance targets. In 2017-18, East Cheshire NHS Trust received total payments of £6.9 million from this fund.

Care Homes: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of care home providers exiting local authority contracts on the provision of those services in Coventry.

Caroline Dinenage: Commissioning high quality social care is the responsibility of local government who are best placed to understand the needs of local people and communities, and how best to meet them. The Department does not collect data about local contracting arrangements. On 15 March 2018, the Care Quality Commission published its findings following a review of health and social care services in Coventry. The review found that in general terms the health and social care system is working well to ensure it meets people’s needs. The review can be found at the following link: https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20180313_coventry-local-system-review-report.pdf Where a care provider ‘hands back’ a contract to a local authority, the authority remains responsible for meeting the needs of people who previously had services provided under the contract and for arranging replacement services. The Department has worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, the care sector and other partners to produce a wide range of guidance and support about market shaping and commissioning and contingency planning.

Cystic Fibrosis: Drugs

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Adjournment debate of 17 July 2018 on Access to Orkambi, Official Report, cols 377-386, what steps he is taking to (a) facilitate and (b) participate as appropriate in a meeting between the chief executives of NHS England and of Vertex to discuss patient access to lumacaftor-ivacaftor and other medicines for cystic fibrosis.

Steve Brine: As was made clear in the Debate on 17 July 2018, Official report, columns 377-386, Ministers are watching this issue very closely. However, it is vital that we go through the right process. It is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England, to work together with Vertex to secure the best outcome for patients and a price for Orkambi that is fair and responsible. It is an important principle that the National Health Service must ensure that healthcare services secure the best value for patients, and that is the approach NHS England is rightly taking. It is disappointing that Vertex has chosen to withdraw from NICE’s technology appraisal of its latest cystic fibrosis medicine, Symkevi, and NICE and NHS England wrote to Vertex on 31 August to signal their continued willingness to meet with Vertex to discuss access to its new cystic fibrosis medicines.

Depressive Illnesses: Medical Treatments

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence’s on the treatment of depression.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service. NICE’s guidance is based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and is developed through extensive engagement with stakeholders. NICE has not yet published its final guideline on depression and has recently consulted publicly on its draft guidance. NICE will take the comments it has received in response to the consultation fully into account in finalising its guideline.

Mental Health Services

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the number of dedicated mental health specialists.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There is no definition for a ‘dedicated mental health specialist’. NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff working in primary care or in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers. The following table shows the full time equivalent (FTE) figures for the mental health and learning disability workforce in National Health Service trusts and CCGs in England as at 31 March each year, since 2014. There is an increase of over 2,900 in mental health staff between March 2014 and March 2018 in the whole mental health and learning disability workforce.  20142015201620172018Size of mental health and learning disability workforce (FTE)180,573179,701181,352182,560183,476Source: NHS Digital monthly HCHS workforce Statistics Following the re-organisation of primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2013, it is not possible to compare figures for mental health and learning disability trusts either side of this reorganisation because it is not possible to separately identify all staff in PCTs providing this service. Health Education England (HEE) published a Mental Health Workforce plan in July 2017. The plan sets out concrete steps for delivering 21,000 new posts across the mental health system and implementation is underway. HEE is working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to encourage more doctors to choose a career in mental health. The Royal College launched the ‘Choose Psychiatry’ campaign in 2017, encouraging doctors to take up psychiatry for their speciality training.

Community Interest Companies

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18, if he will place in the Library the total value of healthcare purchased from Community Interest Companies in each of the last three years.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18, if he will place in the Library the names of the five Community Interest Companies who received the the largest sums of money from NHS organisations in 2017-18.

Stephen Barclay: The information requested is not held centrally.

Haemophilia: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the tender board members involved in NHS England's national tender for (a) factor VIII and (b) factor IX haemophilia products; whether any of those board members represent (i) the Northern Ireland Executive and (ii) organisations involved in Northern Ireland; and whether that tender board has ever met in Northern Ireland.

Steve Brine: We are informed by NHS England that, the membership of the tender award meetings for the most recent NHS England’s national tenders for factor VIII and factor IX, was made up of representatives of the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors' Organisation, officials from NHS England, the Department of Health in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (or their associated procurement organisations), the Pharmaceutical Market Support Group and representatives of patient organisations. Not all organisations attend all meetings. We can confirm that membership of the tender board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive and organisations involved in Northern Ireland was via a government official from the Department of Health in Northern Ireland procurement team. No meetings have been held in Northern Ireland. However, members have remote access, if required.

Haemophilia: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2018 to Question 154637 on Haemophilia: Medical Treatments, what the value is of savings which have been made since 2004-05 for (a) factor VIII and (b) factor IX products; how those savings have been reinvested in haemophilia services; and whether those savings have accrued to the (i) the UK Government and (ii) the Northern Ireland Government.

Steve Brine: NHS England only holds information for Factor VIII and Factor IX from 2007/8 (up to and including 2017/18). Spend inclusive of VAT over this period is in excess of £2 billion, with savings in excess of £400 million. Through its commercial activities on all medicines, NHS England uses tendering to drive improvements in the overall value of the medicines it purchases. This approach ensures that the National Health Service as a whole is able to manage increasing demand within existing resources and make investment in approved, evidence based innovative treatments which demonstrate additional value and benefits in patient outcomes. These figures relate to England only and we do not hold data on equivalent savings in Northern Ireland.

Haemophilia: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who were previously regularly receiving (a) factor VIII and (b) factor IX extended half life (EHLs) products at any point in 2017-18 have since been taken off them; and if he will take steps to ensure that patients are taken off EHLs only when it is clinically necessary.

Steve Brine: NHS England has advised data is currently being collected on patients who have switched to Extended Half Life products and will include whether a patient has switched back to a Standard Half Life product. Where the treatment regimen has changed, this is due to patient preference, clear evidence of a lack of benefit or inability to comply with the reporting requirements on patient reported outcome measures. The exact figures are under analysis.

Haemophilia: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2018 to Question 154639 on Haemophilia: Medical Treatments, if he will take steps to carry out such a comparative assessment of the uptake of  treatment in (a) Ireland, (b) Canada and (c) the EU.

Steve Brine: The Department does not routinely make international comparisons on the uptake of individual medicines, and differences in patient demographics, disease burden and clinical practice mean that useful comparison is not always possible. We currently have not plan to undertake an international comparison of haemophilia medicine uptake. The level of uptake of individual products in England are measured through NHS Digital’s Innovation Scorecard, however this does not include the routine medications for haemophilia. The Department does publish an indicator for the overall position in competitiveness indicators which can be found in the published Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators Report at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/706963/life-sciences-competitiveness-indicators-2018.pdf

Haemophilia: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Trigger 1 of Specialised Commissioning Drugs Briefing: Spring 2018, published by NHS England, what assessment he has made of the effect of the faster adoption of best value medicines requirement on the procurement of Extended Half Life factor VIII products; and what factor VIII blood products will be covered by that CQUIN.

Steve Brine: NHS England, through the Commercial Medicines Unit (CMU), undertakes national tenders which allow all companies who produce plasma, recombinant and extended half-life factor VIII products to submit prices to be included in the national pricing framework. The aim is to deliver access to a range of treatments to meet individual patient need whilst supporting the use of clinically appropriate lowest cost options to achieve the clinical outcomes required. The aim of trigger 1 of the Medicines Optimisation Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) is to support faster adoption of prioritised best value medicines and treatment regimens as they become available. The factor VIII blood products included in the CQUIN are those from the CMU factor VIII framework which was awarded in July 2018. There is regular liaison between the CMU and commissioners in NHS England to ensure that the best value products list included in the CQUIN is as up to date as possible.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the average number of (a) available and (b) occupied consultant-led mental health beds in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is attached. Since 2013/14, National Health Service trusts may have started to classify an increasing number of mental illness beds as non-consultant-led. This is because some mental health services are now run by multi-disciplinary teams rather than consultants.



PQ167393 attached document
(Excel SpreadSheet, 22.35 KB)

Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of out-of-area placements made for inpatients in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information is not available in the format requested. Inappropriate out of area placements (OAPs) are unacceptable and this Government is committed to delivering the target to eliminate these in non-specialist, acute mental health care by 2020/21. NHS England and NHS Improvement now have a comprehensive national programme supporting reductions in OAPs, and every local area is currently developing a trajectory towards ending this practice by no later than 2021. The commitment to reduce OAPs has been formalised in the NHS 2018/19 planning guidance and included in the NHS Improvement Single Oversight Framework.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of detentions under the Mental Health Act 2007 in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) England in each year since 2009.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is shown in the following table. Number of detentions under the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983, England and National Health Service facilities within Yorkshire and the Humber area, 2009-10 to 2016-17. 2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17England46,60046,34848,63150,40853,17658,39963,62245,864Yorkshire and the Humber3,6903,5603,4253,4253,8054,7104,9804,250Source: KP90 (2009/10 to 2015/16), Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS)/MHA Acute (2016/17) - NHS Digital Notes:For Yorkshire and the Humber, figures are given for NHS facilities only and excludes detentions in independent sector providers (ISP). This is because many large ISPs submit data at organisational level, and it is not possible to apportion detentions to a particular geographical area for these providers. From 2016/17 the way these statistics are sourced and produced has changed. As a result 2016/17 figures are not directly comparable to previous years. Further information on the MHSDS data collection is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-act-statistics-annual-figures/mental-health-act-statistics-annual-figures-2016-17-experimental-statistics

Influenza: Vaccination

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for issuing the guidance on influenza vaccines for front line staff.

Steve Brine: NHS Improvement and NHS England wrote to National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts on 7 February 2018 to provide advice on which influenza vaccine NHS providers should order for frontline healthcare workers in the 2018/19 season. This advice was sent to ensure that NHS providers order the most clinically effective vaccine for the coming season. A copy of the letter is attached. A further flu letter will be issued prior to the flu season reiterating this advice and providing additional information on flu vaccination for frontline healthcare workers.



PQ167287 attached letter
(PDF Document, 225.58 KB)

Breast Cancer

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the implementation of the Cancer Strategy in relation to breast cancer.

Steve Brine: NHS England is committed to transforming cancer care across England for all cancers, including breast cancer, aiming to reduce inequality and promoting equity of access to services. To support this ambition, NHS England has committed more than £200 million in 2017/18 and 2018/19 to fund Cancer Alliances to accelerate early diagnosis of cancer, improve survival and enhance quality of life. In February 2018, in partnership with the Department and NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) launched a Be Clear on Cancer Campaign focused on Breast Cancer in women aged over 70 to raise awareness of specific symptoms and encourage those with symptoms to visit their doctor. To improve the uptake of screening, NHS England is continuing to invest in initiatives to help ensure equality of access, including through locally targeted interventions. These include text and general practitioner reminders and PHE’s new ‘Breast screening: easy guide’, which helps women decide whether screening is right for them. NHS England agreed a Commercial Access Agreement with Roche for Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine) which brought the confidential purchase price below the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness threshold, allowing approval in routine commissioning. This is offering breast cancer patients precious quality time with their families without damaging side effects. Finally, we are committed to rolling out stratified follow-up pathways for breast cancer patients by 2020, to ensure patients get the right care after treatment, including information and support to spot signs and symptoms of recurrence or secondary cancer. As well as providing a better experience for patients and ensuring they have the information they need, stratified pathways can offer more effective use of resources by freeing up outpatient capacity. They can also ensure that in cases where there is recurrence or secondary cancer, patients are supported to return to care quickly and effectively.

Obesity

Eleanor Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to mandate that obesity and weight management training is included in the curriculum for the education of every healthcare professional.

Stephen Barclay: We want all health care professionals to feel confident utilising their skills and everyday opportunities to talk about weight and provide advice to support healthier weight. In Chapter 2 of the Childhood Obesity Plan, we outlined our commitment to provide health and care professionals with the latest training and tools to better support children, young people and families to reduce obesity. It is the responsibility of Higher Education Institutes to set the curricula for the pre-registration training of healthcare professionals to standards set by the individual regulators of each profession.

Blood: Contamination

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the level of compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal in England is less than that in Scotland; and whether an assessment was made of the implications for the level of compensation of the status of healthcare as a non-devolved policy area when British haemophiliacs were treated with contaminated products.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Since 1988, successive Governments have continued to provide ex-gratia payments to those affected by infected blood, in recognition of the special circumstances of those inadvertently affected. As liability has not been established in the majority of cases, it is not appropriate to talk about infected blood support payments in terms of compensation. As this is a devolved power it was for Ministers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide how to provide for the beneficiaries within their jurisdictions. The English and Scottish schemes are different, for example, the Scottish scheme does not provide for regular annual payments for everyone with Stage 1 hepatitis C, nor for a Special Category Mechanism (SCM) for higher payments which again is open to all with stage 1 hepatitis C which has been shown to have a substantial and long-term negative impact on their daily lives, which is available to beneficiaries in England. Through the SCM we have been able to provide increased payments to a much larger number of people who need them either now or in the future.

NHS: Drugs

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has undertaken an impact assessment on the potential beneficial effects of regulating the dispensing of special medicinal products in England.

Steve Brine: We have made no such assessment. The supply of special medicinal products is regulated in the United Kingdom by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. In addition, in England, NHS dispensing by pharmacies is regulated by the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013.

Dentistry: Fines

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many fines of what level have been issued to how many dentists by the NHS Business Services Authority for providing FP17 forms without the address of a patient.

Steve Brine: The NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) has no ability to issue fines if FP17 forms are not completed correctly by NHS dental practices. However, FP17 forms record the dental activity (courses of treatment) the dental contract holder has contracted to deliver. Where an FP17 form has not been completed it may not be accepted by the BSA and therefore not count towards activity delivered. Where a contract delivers less than 96% of contracted annual activity NHS England may make a financial recovery at end of year. It is therefore in dental contract holders interest to ensure FP17s are correctly completed.

National Exhibition Centre

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received representations on the origin of 20 skinless human bodies being exhibited at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham; and what information his Department holds on consents obtained for the (a) transportation and (b) exhibition of those bodies.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has received representations relating to human bodies being exhibited at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The Department does not hold information about consent, either for transportation or for the exhibition of the bodies concerned.

Ambulance Services: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ambulances called in the London Borough of Havering have responded outside the (a) Category A and (b) Category C response time target in each of the last seven years.

Stephen Barclay: The information requested is not centrally collected. Ambulance response times are published monthly by NHS England at ambulance trust level. Data can be found online at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ In July 2017, the Government agreed NHS England’s recommendations to implement an improved ambulance performance framework. As the national response time standards have changed, data from previous years are no longer comparable.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the European Health Insurance Card system will be available to all citizens who are ordinarily resident in the UK in the event that the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: The current structure of European Union rules and regulations will apply during the implementation period, and this includes cover under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme. We have reached an agreement with the EU on reciprocal healthcare arrangements (including EHIC rights) for individuals covered by the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement. We welcome the progress that has been made, but as set out in our July 2018 White Paper on the future relationship with the EU, we want continued participation in the EHIC scheme overall.

Hearing Impairment

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what Government support is available to people with hearing impairments in respect of a) assisted access to public buildings and b) financial support for assistive products.

Caroline Dinenage: The Equality Act 2010 gives people with disabilities important rights to use and access services without being subjected to disability discrimination. Providers of public services have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to improve accessibility of services for people with disabilities, including sensory impairment. Local authorities commission community equipment and adaptations and clinical commissioning groups commission hearing aids, and other health-related equipment. NHS England commissions Augmentative and Alternative Communication aids.

Respite Care

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to change from 2019 the level of the £130 million of funding for carers' breaks designated annually in the Better Care Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether future operating guidance on the Better Care Fund will include a clear reference to funding for breaks for carers; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: As stated in the Integration and Better Care Fund Policy Framework 2017-19, the minimum clinical commissioning groups contribution to the Better Care Fund (BCF) includes £130 million funding for the provision of carers’ breaks. We want to have the biggest possible impact with the money available, so as part of the National Health Service plan, we will review the current functioning and structure of the BCF to make sure that it supports the full integration of health and social care. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integration-and-better-care-fund-policy-framework-2017-to-2019

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the judgment of Beatt v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust [2017] EWCA Civ 401, what steps are being taken to ensure that responses to disclosures by NHS whistleblowers are not influenced by the personal feelings of staff towards those people making such disclosures.

Caroline Dinenage: Speaking up and raising concerns should be routine in business in the National Health Service and is a key part of ensuring patient safety and improving the quality of services. The NHS should support and welcome all staff to raise concerns wherever they spot them, without prejudice to any personal feelings regarding those speaking up. NHS Improvement has developed the national integrated whistleblowing policy, which acts as a minimum standard for NHS trusts, and has been designed so as to minimise the chance of personal feelings influencing the way that people who speak up are treated. The National Guardian’s Office has advised the Department that all NHS trusts are required to have a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to provide safe, consistent, person-centred support for speaking up, whether the individual would qualify for protection under the law or not. Freedom to Speak Up Guardians are trained by the National Guardian’s Office to support all individuals equally. They also work within their organisation to improve all aspects of speaking up so that individuals receive the same quality of support irrespective of the route that they use. Their training also routinely includes an assessment of their organisation’s speaking up / whistleblowing policies so that aspects of policies that may act as a barrier to speaking up are identified and changed.

Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many out-of-area placements there have been for children and adolescents with psychosis in (a) England and (b) Birmingham in each year since 2010.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data is not available in the format requested. The Department and NHS England are committed to delivering the recommendations of 2016’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. By 2020/21, inpatient stays for children and young people will only take place where clinically appropriate, will have the minimum possible length of stay, and will be as close to home as possible to avoid inappropriate out of area placements. To support the delivery of these targets, NHS England is funding 150-180 new Tier 4 specialist inpatient beds for children and young people in underserved parts of the country to reduce travel distances for treatment. As part of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, by 2020/21 at least 60% of people with first episode psychosis will start treatment in an Early Intervention in Psychosis service within two weeks of referral, with a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended package of care focused on recovery.

Mental Health Services

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people in (a) Birmingham and (b) England referred for early intervention in psychosis services received help within two weeks of being referred in the last twelve months.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on performance against the two-week waiting time standard for early intervention in psychosis is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/eip-waiting-times/ According to the latest data for England in May 2018, 75.7% of patients referred to Early Intervention in Psychosis services started treatment within two weeks. This performance exceeds our target of 50%. A breakdown for the last 12 months can be found in the following table. MonthNumber of patients started treatment by week since referralTotal number of completed pathways (all)% within 2 weeksMore than 0-2 weeksMore than 2-6 weeksMore than 6-12 weeks12 weeksJune 201787319339221,12777.50%July 201782422636141,10074.90%August 201781620745161,08475.30%September 201781818747151,06776.70%October 201783617850181,08277.30%November 201778723050221,08972.30%December 2017699198391995573.20%January 20187222386517104269.30%February 201880718536241,05276.70%March 1879517849261,04875.90%April 201878320444211,05274.40%May 201884021047121,10975.70% Information for people in Birmingham is not available in the format requested. The number of patients who started treatment for Early Intervention in Psychosis and waited less than 2 weeks are displayed for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that cover Birmingham for last 12 months of published data, which cover June 2017 to May 2018. These CCGs are: - NHS Birmingham Cross City CCG (until March 2018);- NHS Birmingham South and Central CCG (until March 2018);- NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG (since April 2018); and- NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG (all 12 months). From April this year there are only two CCGs for Birmingham: NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham CCGs. These figures are attached and can be accessed in the monthly files at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/eip-waiting-times/



PQ167857 attached document
(Excel SpreadSheet, 19.95 KB)

NHS: ICT

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with mobile phone providers on enabling their customers to access the NHS Digital website without incurring a mobile data usage charge.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital has advised that it has not had any discussions with mobile phone providers concerning the removal of data charges for customers accessing NHS Digital’s corporate website: www.digital.nhs.uk Mobile phone users can however access the website free of charge via Wi-Fi connectivity available in many National Health Service hospitals and general practices. Free NHS Wi-Fi is expected to be in place across all NHS hospitals and general practitioner practices by the end of 2018.

Queen Alexandra Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to support Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust's proposal for the redevelopment of the emergency department at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

Stephen Barclay: The Government last year announced £2.9 billion of additional capital funding to support estate transformation across sustainability and transformation partnerships and 77 schemes have already been announced. Bids for the next funding round were submitted earlier this month and we are aware that Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust submitted a bid for the Emergency Floor Programme at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The Department are working closely with NHS Improvement and NHS England colleagues to evaluate bids. Following evaluation the successful schemes are expected to be announced in the autumn.

Prisons: Health Services

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken to obtain security clearance for health and social care staff on the delivery of healthcare in prisons.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not made a formal assessment of the effect of the time taken to obtain security clearance for health and social care staff on the delivery of healthcare in prisons. All staff and non-directly employed personnel are subject to a series of pre-appointment security checks to determine their suitability to work in a prison. The unique nature of such work means that checks may need to be more comprehensive than other locations and can take time. NHS England continues to work with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice to expedite clearance on a case by case basis where concerns are raised by providers. The end-to-end recruitment procedure has been reviewed by the Ministry of Justice to identify the points at which delays have or can take place. Action has been taken to address these and the backlog of cases has been reduced significantly from last year. This in turn, should also result in reduced processing times in security vetting for all staff.

Maternal Mortality

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to lower the maternal mortality rate.

Jackie Doyle-Price: It is the ambition of the Department to halve the rate of maternal deaths by 2025. To achieve this, the Department is working with NHS England on a suite of initiatives set out in the 2017 Maternity Safety Strategy which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safer-maternity-care-progress-and-next-steps Initiatives relating to lowering the maternal mortality rate include: - Independent learning investigations conducted by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch into incidents of maternal death. This will ensure that by finding out what went wrong, the maximum learning can be captured for the individual trust in question and for the wider healthcare system to reduce the likelihood of such events occurring again; - NHS England plans to introduce a network of maternal medicine specialists across the country to care for pregnant women with significant health conditions such as cardiac disease, epilepsy or diabetes. Cardiovascular issues are the leading indirect cause of maternal death in the United Kingdom. In addition, the Department will provide funding over three years to train 12 consultant physicians as ‘Obstetric Physicians’. The Obstetric Physicians will provide expert care for pregnant women with complex medical problems; - Psychiatric causes such as suicide, drug and alcohol misuse are major causes of maternal death. NHS England is working to increase capacity and capability in perinatal mental health services across England. This will mean that, by 2020/21, 30,000 more women will be able to access appropriate, high-quality specialist mental health care, closer to home, both in the community and in inpatient Mother and Baby Units. This initiative is backed by a £365 million investment; and - NHS England is also working closely with Health Education England who are leading on the development of a perinatal mental health competency framework. This supports the perinatal mental health workforce to develop the required skills and knowledge to better identify perinatal mental illness, intervene early and improve recovery rates. Targeted funding of £1.2 million was provided in 2017 to enable the training of mental health, maternity and primary care staff to increase awareness and skills related to perinatal mental health.

Department for International Development

South Sudan: Refugees

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department is planning to send emergency aid to refugees to South Sudan as a result of violence in that region.

Harriett Baldwin: The conflict in South Sudan continues to drive the largest refugee crisis in Africa. Ongoing violence and the severe humanitarian crisis have forced nearly 2.5 million people to flee their homes to neighbouring countries. Through bilateral programmes and multilateral partners, the Department for International Development has provided lifesaving aid and livelihood support to South Sudanese refugees, including 950,000 refugees in Uganda; up to 150,000 in Sudan; and 100,000 in Kenya. DFID is also a significant contributor to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, providing £140 million of flexible funding from 2017-2021, which includes support for South Sudanese refugees who have fled to Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to support for South Sudanese refugees in the region, through our Humanitarian Response and Resilience in South Sudan (HARRIS) programme, DFID South Sudan is providing humanitarian and livelihoods support to 1.8 million people who have been internally displaced by ongoing violence.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to the UNHCR to support the processing of family links applications for each year since 2010.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase funding from her Department to the UNHCR to support the processing of family links applications in the Liverpool City Council area in each year for which information is available.

Alistair Burt: The UK is a long-standing supporter of UNHCR, reflecting our shared commitment to international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law and ensuring that UK aid reaches the most marginalised. Since 2010, the UK has contributed in excess of USD 1.2 billion to UNHCR in support of their work to protect refugees and other forcibly displaced people. It is not possible to disaggregate the amount of this funding utilised solely on progressing family reunification applications, nor by those with familial links in the Liverpool area. The Department for International Development has also committed to provide UNHCR with an annual contribution of £35m core unearmarked funding (up to 2021). This funding will support UNHCR’s work to assist and protect refugees, as well as ambitious system-wide improvements to deliver the greatest possible impact for those most in need. Funding for UNHCR and for local authorities participating in resettling refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) is provided by the Home Office.

Palestinians: ICT

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to (a) assist the development of the IT sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and (b) foster links between UK and Palestinian companies.

Alistair Burt: The Department for International Development funds the Palestinian Market Development Programme (PMDP) which is currently supporting 18 Palestinian IT firms to strengthen their capability to work with British businesses. As part of this assistance PMDP is also working closely with the Portland Trust, the Palestinian Information Technology Association, the Palestinian Business Council and the Palestinian UK Country Trade Representative to develop business links between these firms and British businesses.

Department for Education

University Academy Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which Multi-Academy Trusts are being considered for the re-brokerage on University Academy Warrington; and what criteria his Department will use to decide on a preferred Trust.

Nadhim Zahawi: When re-brokering an academy, a variety of factors are considered before identifying a new sponsor. These include a trust’s capacity, its track record, financial health, and its distance from the academy being re-brokered.A number of sponsors are being considered for the re-brokerage of University Academy Warrington (UAW). These sponsors have been invited to submit an expression of interest with further details on the support they can provide. The chosen sponsor will have the experience, capacity and necessary ability to support and deliver sustainable improvement and stability for UAW.

Education: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2017 to Question 106098, how much of his Department's budget allocated to 16 to 19-year old education was reallocated to other budgets in the financial year 2017-18.

Anne Milton: Budgets for 16 to 19 year old education are set according to the established 16 to 19 funding formula, which uses student number estimates. As in 2015-16 and 2016-17, student numbers and associated costs were lower in 2017-18 than these estimates. This resulted in lower spending by £8.5 million, representing 0.15 per cent of the budget, which was available for reallocation.Due to the fact that the reduction in spending was as a result of fewer students than forecasted, it did not affect funding per student.

Home Education: Stockton South

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on trends in the number of people being home-schooled in Stockton South constituency.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally. A consultation on home education, and call for evidence on the issues of registration, monitoring and support for home educating families, closed on 2 July 2018 and responses are now being considered.

Children: Day Care

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of government funding for the 30-hours free childcare policy.

Nadhim Zahawi: By 2019-20, we will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support – a record amount. This includes around £1 billion extra a year to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and fund the increase in hourly rates that we introduced in April 2017.Our average funding rates are based on the department’s ‘Review of Childcare Costs’ which was described as ‘thorough and wide ranging’ by the National Audit Office. The review looked at both current and future cost pressures.More than 340,000 children have benefitted from our 30 hours offer over its first year, and the vast majority of providers have increased the number of free hours available to parents.We continue to monitor both the implementation of 30 hours and delivery costs. We have recently commissioned new research to provide us with further robust and detailed data of the costs of delivering childcare for under five year olds using a representative sample of early years providers.

Children: Day Care

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are eligible for 30 hours free childcare in the Salford local authority area.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government set out in the 2015 Spending Review that we expect 390,000 children to be eligible for 30 hours free childcare. This figure is derived from national survey data taken in January and is an average across the year. Estimates at a regional and local authority level are not available due to the relatively small population that we are estimating within sub national geographies.We publish termly experimental statistics showing the number of children in a place. The most recent publication showed that 1,535 codes were issued in Salford and 1,550 children were in a 30 hours places in the summer term. The full publication – including a local authority level breakdown - is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-summer-term-2018.As we move in to the second year of delivery, we will continue to publish Management Information on the number of codes issued for 30 hours. This will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated. The most recent publication on 9 August shows that 996 codes have already been issued in Salford for the start of the next academic year.

Health Education and Sex and Relationship Education: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 19 July 2018 on on Relationships and Sex Education, HCWS 892 , what additional funding he plans to allocate to schools to support training and investment required to deliver (a) Relationships Education, (b) Relationships and Sex Education and (c) Health Education.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to enabling schools to deliver high quality relationships education at primary level, relationships and sex education at secondary level, and health education in all schools. In order to determine our approach and the funding needed, the Department is currently seeking views through a consultation to determine the right school support package. This will consider curriculum design, training programmes and teaching materials to complement the content set out in the draft guidance. The consultation is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/relationships-and-sex-education-and-health-education. The Department will continue to work with schools, unions, other education providers (such as multi-academy trusts and dioceses) and expert organisations such as subject associations to ensure schools get the support they need.

Apprentices

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on meeting the target of three million apprenticeship starts by 2020.

Anne Milton: There have been 1.4 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015. In May, we published an update on the progress of apprenticeships reforms, including progress against the 3 million target:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707896/Progress_report_on_the_Apprenticeships_Reform_Programme_May_2018.pdf.The government is moving away from old apprenticeship frameworks, which employers said were often not suitably equipping apprentices for the job, towards new, higher quality apprenticeship standards, designed by employers themselves. The number of people starting on new apprenticeship standards is growing fast. Starts on higher apprenticeships standards continue to grow and we have seen a 12.7 per cent increase compared to this time last year. In addition, over 40 per cent of individuals completing an apprenticeship are now starting on standards, compared to 2.5 per cent this time last year.

Apprentices: Small Businesses

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to support small providers of apprenticeship training.

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to encourage new entrants into the apprenticeship training market.

Anne Milton: Since May 2017, all providers who want to deliver apprenticeship training must be on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP). The introduction of the RoATP, which currently has over 2,600 providers listed, has made it easier for new providers, including small providers, to enter the apprenticeship training market. Ahead of the opening of the RoATP, the Education and Skills Funding Agency raised awareness of the requirement to register and the application process. This included providing webinars, direct engagement and information through representative bodies. Providers who are not on the RoATP, including small providers, are able to operate as a sub-contractor to a main provider who is on the RoATP, up to a limit of £100,000 a year.

Apprentices: Taxation

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of contracts awarded through the apprenticeship levy were valued at less than £500,000.

Anne Milton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency do not award contracts through the apprenticeship levy; providers are admitted to the register of apprenticeship training providers and employers select them to deliver the training that they need.In regards to non-levy contracts awarded under the recent non-levy apprenticeship procurement, 351 contracts, approximately 49 per cent of contracts granted were for values under £500,000.

Classroom Assistants: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teaching assistants were employed in primary schools in each parliamentary constituency in Cumbria in each of the last 10 years.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers were employed in primary schools in each parliamentary constituency in Cumbria in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Gibb: The table in Annex A, attached, provides information for the full-time equivalent (FTE) number and head count number of teaching assistants and teachers in service in state-funded nursery and primary schools in each parliamentary constituency within Cumbria from November 2011 to November 2017. These figures are publicly available in the underlying data files in each of the publications: ‘School Workforce in England’. This is available at the following web link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce.Comparable figures for parliamentary constituency and phase are only available for teaching assistant numbers and teacher numbers from November 2010 when the annual ‘School Workforce Census’ was introduced. The previous source was the ‘Form616g’ survey which was available at local authority level only.Figures for FTE teaching assistants in Cumbria local authority show a rise from 900 in 2011 to 1,300 in 2017. It should be noted, however, that these figures could be partly driven by an increase in the percentage of schools that have responded in each year. Totals for England are adjusted to provide an estimate in each year for non-responding schools. The trend is similar for England, showing a consistent rise from 136,900 in 2011 to 176,200 thousand in 2017.Information on teaching assistants and teachers in service in state-funded nursery and primary schools in parliamentary constituencies in Cumbria and England is derived from the annual School Workforce Census. This is publicly available in the publications ‘School Workforce Census’.Trends in the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants and teachers in Cumbria local authority and England are shown in the table in Annex B, which is also attached.



167234_167235_Annex_A_Teachers_and_teaching_assist
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167234_167235_Annex_B_Number_of_teaching_assistant
(Word Document, 72 KB)

Schools: Standards

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Regional School Commissioner for North West London and the South Central Region has not issued any warning notices to any schools about poor performance since the end of 2016.

Nadhim Zahawi: Since 1 January 2017, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for North West London and South Central Region has issued two warning notices to academy trusts for poor performance; these are available via the ‘Letters to academy trusts about poor performance’ page: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/letters-to-academies-about-poor-performance#removed-notices. Decisions on when to issue warning notices to either academies or maintained schools are taken on a case by case basis in accordance with the department’s ‘Schools Causing Concern' guidance[1]. RSCs, working with local authorities where appropriate, may issue warning notices to schools where they have concerns about unacceptable educational performance (including results below floor standards), a breakdown in leadership and governance, or where the safety of pupils or staff may be being threatened.  [1] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/680559/Schools_causing_concern_guidance_-_February_2018.pdf.

Schools: Buildings

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of schools letting out premises in order to raise money to supplement their budgets; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. The Department is aware that many schools choose to make their facilities available outside the school day and out of term time, strengthening their ties to the local community. This allows them to generate extra income through letting of premises, running of events, or from goods or services provided by the school.Schools have historically used fundraising activities to bring communities together and to bring in some extra funding, over and above the schools’ core budget. Data is collected on how much schools generate from facilities and services; schools have brought in over £1.2 billion a year since 2010.

Pupil Exclusions

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of early intervention programmes in reducing levels of pupil exclusions.

Nick Gibb: The Government’s externally led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE, is considering how schools use exclusion, how this impacts their pupils, and why some groups of pupils are more likely to be excluded. It is also considering practice in relation to behavior management and early intervention measures that schools take to reduce the risk of exclusion.To help schools develop effective strategies, the Department has produced advice covering what should be included in their behaviour policy. The Bennett Review of behaviour in schools report Creating a Culture, published last year, also provides practical advice for head teachers about creating a culture that prevents classroom disruption, maintains good discipline and promotes pupils’ education, focus and wellbeing. The report includes early intervention strategies such as ‘internal inclusion units’ to avoid exclusions and case studies of policies in place. The report can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools.

School Teachers' Review Body

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165696, for what reasons he did not publish his response to the recommendations in the 2018 report of the School Teachers' Review Body before the summer adjournment.

Nick Gibb: The Department received the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on 18 May 2018 and Ministers have been considering its recommendations within the context of wider public sector pay policy. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State published the report and issued a written ministerial statement on 24 July. The statement sets out the Government’s proposed response to the report and officials wrote to statutory consultees to invite them to comment on the report, the Government’s response to it, the revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and accompanying Pay Order. The consultation ended on 3 September.

School Teachers' Review Body

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165696, when his Department received the 2018 report of the School Teachers' Review Body.

Nick Gibb: The Department received the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on 18 May 2018 and Ministers have been considering its recommendations within the context of wider public sector pay policy. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State published the STRB report and issued a written ministerial statement on 24 July. The statement sets out the Government’s proposed response to the report and officials wrote to statutory consultees to invite them to comment on the report, the Government’s response to it, the revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and accompanying Pay Order. The consultation ended on 3 September.

School Teachers' Review Body

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165696, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding any pay rise recommended by the 2018 report of the School Teachers' Review Body.

Nick Gibb: The Department received the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on 18 May 2018 and Ministers have been considering its recommendations within the context of wider public sector pay policy. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State published the STRB report and issued a written ministerial statement on 24 July. The statement sets out the Government’s proposed response to the report and officials wrote to statutory consultees to invite them to comment on the report, the Government’s response to it, the revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and accompanying Pay Order. The consultation ended on 3 September.

Care Leavers

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral evidence of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families to the Education Committee on Accountability hearings on 18 July 2018, Q1389, HC 341, what evidence he was referring to when he stated that 30 per cent of care leavers end up as adults in prison.

Nadhim Zahawi: During my evidence to the Education Committee, I inadvertently said that around 30% of care leavers end up as adults in prison. The point that I was seeking to make was that care leavers are over-represented in the criminal justice system. This is based on the findings from a number of research studies which have reported on the backgrounds of prisoners. These include a Ministry of Justice report published in 2014, which indicated that 24% of the prisoners surveyed had been in care at some point during their childhood. It also includes a report published in 2011 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, which stated that 27% of the young men and 55% of the young women surveyed had spent time in care.In relation to the proportion of care leavers overall who end up in prison, the latest data published by the department for the period ending March 2017 shows that 4% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 were in custody at the point when the data was collected.

Universities: Admissions

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional university places have been created at (a) Russell Group and (b) non-Russell Group universities since the lifting of the cap on undergraduate numbers.

Mr Sam Gyimah: In 2013, the government announced that the student number controls at publicly-funded higher education institutions in England would be removed by 2015/16. This was preceded by a relaxation of student number controls for AAB students, who were made exempt from 2012/13, and ABB students, who were exempt from 2013/14.Student number controls applied to full-time undergraduate students at English higher education institutions who were domiciled in the UK or European Union prior to study.The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled in higher education institutions in England. Time series for UK and EU domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants at Russell Group and non-Russell Group higher education institutions in England have been provided in the table below.UK and EU domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants by provider groupEnglish Higher Education InstitutionsAcademic years 2013/14 to 2016/17 2013/142014/152015/162016/17Russell Group79,13582,07587,14589,415Non-Russell Group283,775291,875300,465306,070Total362,910373,950387,610395,485Source: HESA Student Record 2013/14 to 2016/17Note:(1) Figures in this table are rounded to the nearest multiple of five.(2) Entrants refers to first year students.The number of entrants is affected by the decisions taken by higher education institutions and applicants to these institutions; as such, this is likely to differ from the number of places available.

English Baccalaureate

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils who are (a) eligible and (b) not eligible for free school meals have taken up English Baccalaureate subjects in each of the last seven years.

Nick Gibb: The number and percentage of pupils, split by their eligibility for free school meals, entering the English Baccalaureate in each of the last seven years is provided in the attached table.



167320_Pupils_entering_EBacc_split_by_FSM_status
(Excel SpreadSheet, 57 KB)

English Baccalaureate

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information he holds on the (a) number of pupils in each ethnic group who have taken subjects in the English Baccalaureate and (b) grades that those pupils have achieved since the introduction of that qualification.

Nick Gibb: The number and percentage of pupils, split by ethnicity, entering and achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) in each of the last seven years is provided in the attached table. The Department did not publish EBacc entries and achievements, split by pupil characteristics, in the period 2009 to 2010. 



167321_Pupil_number_of_each_ethnicity_taking_EBacc
(Excel SpreadSheet, 63 KB)

Music: GCE A-level

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many colleges in England offer music at A-Level.

Nick Gibb: The number of further education sector colleges that had at least one student entering A level music, or music technology, in 2016/17 was 103. [1],[2],[3] [1] Includes: sixth form colleges, general further education colleges, agriculture and horticulture colleges & art, design and performing art colleges.[2] Only includes colleges with A level students at the end of their 16-18 study in the 2016/17 academic year. Where qualifications taken by a student are in the same subject area and similar in content, ‘discounting’ rules have been applied to avoid double counting qualifications.[3] The Department publishes this information at the following link: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data. Select the academic year, then ‘All of England’, then ’16 to 18 qualification and subject data’ and then download the Excel file.

Academies: Private Finance Initiative

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish a list of the names and addresses of all state-maintained academies which have been constructed via a Private Finance Initiative or PF2 programme.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the names and locations are of all schools constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme and funded by means of a PFI or PF2 programme.

Nick Gibb: There are 299 academies that were constructed under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) or Private Finance 2 (PF2), as set out in the attached list. The schools' addresses can be downloaded from the ‘Get information about schools’ website at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Downloads. The Department has recently signed five PF2 contracts as part of the Priority Schools Building Programme. Prior to these PF2 contracts, 169 contracts (including 67 Building Schools for the Future PFI contracts) were signed by local authorities under the PFI. Local authorities hold this information. 



167263_167267_PFI_&_PF2_constructed_academies
(Excel SpreadSheet, 59 KB)

Department for Education: Annual Reports

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which agencies and other public bodies accountable to him will not have published their annual report and accounts for 2017-2018 by 31 July 2018; and what the reasons are for each such body not having done so by that date.

Anne Milton: A list of the agencies and other public bodies which are accountable to the department can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations. All accounts that are published will appear on the bodies’ individual websites.As per the Government Resources and Accounts Act (2000), there is no legal requirement for agencies or other public bodies to publish their accounts before the January, following year end.

Class Sizes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the most recent information which his Department holds on the average class size in schools in (a) England and (b) London is.

Nick Gibb: The Department published information on average class sizes in state-funded schools in England from the January 2018 school census in the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018.

Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle any disparities in education and skill levels between London and other regions of the UK.

Anne Milton: Education performance and outcomes within London from early years through to higher and adult education are varied and complex. London has performed well in recent years in relation to school age outcomes and is home to some of the best universities in the world, but there are still key skills shortages in some boroughs, including basic numeracy and English language for adults. Therefore, our regional response for each is understandably different. Our technical education reforms, along with the work of Skills Advisory Panels, will give local areas the capability and tools to produce high-quality skills needs analysis to evidence their Local Industrial Strategies, and for providers to work closely with local employers to better meet local skills needs. For example, we worked with four providers across London to test a range of industry placement models to understand how employers and providers can best work together on T Levels. In addition, the government is devolving the Adult Education Budget via delegation to the Greater London Authority from 2019-20 academic year as set out in the Industrial Strategy. Through delegation, the Mayor of London can provide adult education that serves the needs of the local economy and local people, directly shaping outcomes for adults across London. The delegation will assist the Mayor in delivering London’s first ever dedicated skills strategy. We will work closely with the Greater London Authority, along with combined authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and councils on future ways of working which support the successful delivery of both local and national adult education provision.

History: Curriculum

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of the history national curriculum devoted to the teaching of British history.

Nick Gibb: One of the aims of the national curriculum for history is to ensure that all pupils know and understand the history of Great Britain as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day; how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.The Department does not dictate how much time teachers should spend on each element of the curriculum. However, the national curriculum history programmes of study specify eras of history and broad themes which should be taught, and give examples of non-statutory topics which relate to the broader theme. The majority of these broader themes relate to British history. The history programmes of study can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum.

Children: Day Care

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 123752, whether he plans to carry out a further review of childcare costs in England.

Nadhim Zahawi: By 2019-20 we will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support – a record amount. This includes around £1 billion extra a year to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and fund the increase in hourly rates that we introduced in April 2017.Our average funding rates are based on the department’s ‘Review of Childcare Costs’ which was described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. The review looked at both current and future cost pressures.We have recently commissioned new research to provide us with further robust and detailed data of the costs of delivering childcare for under five-year-olds using a representative sample of early years providers.

Education: North East

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle any disparities in education and skill levels in North East England compared to other regions of the UK.

Anne Milton: The department is aware of the specific education, skills and employment challenges faced by some areas in the North East.We consider this when designing education programmes. For example, we have launched two Maths Hubs in the North East, these school-led centres of excellence in mathematics teaching seek to boost teaching for children from primary school age up to 18-year olds.Our technical education reforms, along with the work of Skills Advisory Panels, will give local areas the capability and tools to produce high-quality skills needs analysis to evidence their Local Industrial Strategies, and for providers to work closely with local employers to better meet local skills needs. The government announced on 24 July the next wave of Local Industrial Strategies including Tees Valley and North of Tyne.We are on track to devolve adult education budgets from the 2019/20 academic year to mayoral combined authorities, including the Tees Valley. This will give local areas the opportunity to provide adult education that serves the needs of the local economy and local people. We will also be working with the North of Tyne area as they prepare for devolution from 2020.We will work closely with combined authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and councils on future ways of working which support the successful delivery of both local and national adult education provision.

Knowsley Community College: GCE A-level

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on how many applications to study academic A-Level courses have been received  by SK College Group's Knowsley campus for the 2018-19 academic year.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on how many academic A- Level courses set out in the curriculum offer of SK College Group's prospectus for September 2018 at it's Knowsley campus will be provided rather than simply offered.

Anne Milton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency understands that, to date, SK College Group has received 142 applications to study academic A levels at its Knowsley campus for the 2018/19 academic year. 60 of these applicants attended an interview with the college, and each of the 60 were made an offer to study at the college.Until recruitment has been finalised at the college, it is not in a position to confirm which A level courses, set out in its prospectus, will be provided at its Knowsley campus. The overarching decision on course delivery will be determined by learner demand together with educational and financial viability.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding levels for maintained nursery schools in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the role of maintained nursery schools in improving educational attainment among children from families living in poverty.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received from local authorities on supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools beyond 2020.

Nadhim Zahawi: In recognition of the costs that maintained nursery schools (MNS) experience over and above other providers, we are providing supplementary funding of approximately £60 million per year to MNS.This is additional to funding received under the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF). This funding has been provided to enable local authorities to protect the pre-EYNFF funding levels available to MNS until the period 2019 to 2020.Individual authorities’ allocations of the supplementary funding given to MNS for the period 2018 to 2019 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.MNS make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. We have commissioned new research on the value offered by MNS, which will be published in the autumn.Ministers continue to meet a wide variety of early years and MNS sector representatives on a wide variety of topics, including MNS funding.

Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June to Question 150142 on Selective Schools Expansion Fund, how many applications had been received for funding from the Selective Schools Expansion Fund by 19 July 2018; and from whom such applications were received.

Nick Gibb: The Selective Schools Expansion Fund is now closed and the Department will provide an update once successful applicants have been identified. The Department will publish the list of successful projects later this year and will confirm the number of applications received.The application deadlines were set out in guidance available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718555/Selective_Schools_Expansion_Fund_How_To_Apply_Guidance.odt.

College of Teaching

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy that the Chartered College of Teaching should be led by practising teachers.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Chartered College of Teaching. I have asked its Chief Executive, Dame Alison Peacock, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release entitled New Chair of the Social Mobility Commission recommended, published by his Department on 23 May 2018 on Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments, what the timetable is for the appointment process for the remaining Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commissioners.

Nadhim Zahawi: The recruitment of new Commissioners for the Social Mobility Commission is underway after applications closed on 25 July. Interviews are intended to take place in late September. This is a public appointment, and the process, including the interviews, will be completed following the procedures set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

Apprentices: Nurses

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nursing associates had begun apprenticeship courses by the end of (a) April 2018 and (b) June 2018.

Anne Milton: There have been 64,830 apprenticeship starts in Health, Public Services and Care, reported to date, in the first three quarters of the 2017 to 2018 academic year (August 2017 to April 2018) in England, the data for which can be accessed at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education-and-skills-statistical-first-release-sfr.We want to increase the number of nursing apprenticeships and now have a complete apprentice pathway from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice in nursing. This will support people from all backgrounds to enter a nursing career in the National Health Service (NHS).In the 2017/18 academic year reported to date (from August 2017 to April 2018), there have been 260 apprenticeship starts recorded for the framework ‘Registered Nurse’ (degree apprenticeship approved for delivery on 9 May 2017), and 640 apprenticeship starts recorded for the framework ‘Nursing Associate’ (Level 5 standard approved for delivery on 20 November 2017). Data for apprenticeship starts for May and June 2018 are not robust at this point in the year as not all providers have submitted returns for those months. Full final year data for the academic year 2017 to 2018 will be available in November 2018.We are working closely with employers, Health Education England and ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care to make sure the NHS is fully supported to recruit apprentices, both in nursing and in a range of other occupations.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation of 14 May 2018, Official Report, column 15, by what date he plans that evaluation into disabled students’ allowances to conclude.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We currently envisage that the evaluation will conclude in early to mid-Autumn.

Grammar Schools: Transport

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Spring Budget 2017, when he plans to set out plans for the £5 million fund for transport to selective schools for disadvantaged pupils.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to ensuring every child is able to access a good school place, regardless of background. The new Selective Schools Expansion Fund will create more good school places where there is local demand by supporting the expansion of existing good or outstanding selective schools, where they have proposed compelling plans to increase the representation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their local areas. Children will be eligible for free transport to a selective school if they meet the existing eligibility criteria. The Department is not, however, taking forward proposals to open new selective schools and, not taking forward plans for free transport specifically for children who are eligible for free school meals who attend their nearest selective school. Where disadvantaged pupils are not eligible for free transport, schools may wish to consider whether it is appropriate to use pupil premium funding to support transport costs for these pupils.

Academies

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which academy schools are awaiting rebrokering as of 24 July 2018.

Nadhim Zahawi: As at 24 July 2018, there were 124 academies that have been approved by Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) to transfer to another trust. Academies may transfer to other trusts in a range of circumstances. In some cases, RSCs may be intervening due to concerns about academy performance. In other cases, an academy may be moving trust as part of an agreed voluntary arrangement. Although transfers are agreed in principle, some may end up not going ahead for any number of reasons. Information on transfers that have occurred during the financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18 is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/academy-transfers-and-funding-england-financial-year-2017-to-2018.

Wakefield City Academies Trust

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2018 to Question 135939 on Wakefield City Academies Trust, how much funding his Department provided to (a) former Wakefield City Academy Trust schools and (b) their new trusts by 1 April 2018.

Nadhim Zahawi: Information on academy trust transfers (where academies move from one trust to another) and grant funding is published annually in a statistical official release. Information on transfer grant funding provided during the five financial years to the end of March 2018, is available on GOV.UK. Information on transfer grant funding up to the end of March 2019 will be published in the 2018-19 release due in July 2019, and will include funding for schools formerly in Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT), because the transfers have taken place during the April to March 2018-19 financial year. The department has worked with all the schools that were in WCAT and their new trusts to provide appropriate support and resources, including funding, so that each of the schools has what they require to improve pupil outcomes and secure the financial future for those schools.

School Exclusions Review

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on the School Exclusions Review.

Nick Gibb: Good progress has been made gathering evidence, including through a call for evidence which closed in May. This invited views and evidence from anyone with an interest in school exclusion. In total, the Department received over 900 submissions. Two thirds of submissions were from parents, with the remaining submissions from schools, teachers, local authorities and other interested individuals and organisations. Edward Timpson CBE has also chaired a series of roundtables and visited a number of schools, local authorities and other interested groups to discuss school exclusions. The review remains in an evidence-gathering phase in the Autumn with Edward Timpson CBE expected to report by the end of the year.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what Ministerial responsibility he has for the student loan book.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Higher education policy in relation to England rests with the Secretary of State for Education. This includes policy on student finance, the student loan book and any sales thereof. The Secretary of State is supported in his ministerial responsibilities by the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.

Academies

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing for a route whereby schools in difficulty which have been converted to academy status can revert to local authority control; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: We have no plans to consider returning schools back to local authorities.Indeed, as of March 2018, over half a million pupils now study in sponsored academies that are rated Good or Outstanding; they typically replaced underperforming maintained schools.The department firmly believe that becoming an academy can bring enormous benefits to schools and their pupils; coming together in a multi-academy trust, sharing expertise, working collaboratively, driving improvements.Hundreds of schools every year continue to voluntarily choose to become an academy and join a multi academy trust.The department is working on a range of methods and tools for building trust capacity and assessing risk.

Students: Housing

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many student residential buildings have been identified as having aluminium composite material cladding; and what steps he is taking to ensure that such buildings are safe.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges are autonomous institutions with responsibility for managing their estates and I can confirm that they are taking this issue very seriously. They are working to ensure their buildings are safe and the department is monitoring their progress.Last year, all Higher Education Institutions, then funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and all designated Alternative Providers of Higher Education, provided us with information on fire safety arrangements and any student accommodation buildings requiring further investigation. Accommodation owned by all of these providers has been inspected and, where necessary, tested. Eight buildings owned by five universities were found to have aluminum composite material cladding. We have received assurances that all eight buildings have passed inspection by local Fire and Rescue Services and are safe for students.A similar exercise also took place with all government-funded further education providers, including 280 Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges and around 1,700 independent training providers. This has resulted in one Further Education College being identified as having residential accommodation in a high-rise building with aluminum composite cladding. We have received assurances that this building has passed inspection by the local Fire and Rescue Service and is safe for students. The college has, however, received specialist advice which includes removal and replacement of the cladding. Work to remove the cladding is expected to start later this year and we are monitoring progress. An application for funding support to facilitate this is also expected within the next few weeks.Alongside the rest of government, the department will take forward findings from the independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and from the Public Inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.

Wakefield City Academies Trust

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2017 to Question 111967 on Wakefield City Academies Trust, whether he plans to publish the  Education and Skills Funding Agency report into Wakefield City Academies Trust after all the schools are transferred to new trusts.

Nadhim Zahawi: Once all of the academies currently part of Wakefield City Academies Trust are transferred to new trusts, a copy of the report of the multi-academy trust review carried out by the Education and Skills Funding Agency in 2016 will be placed in Libraries of both Houses.

Teachers: Pay

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 July 2018 on Schools Update, HCWS911, whether he consulted with the Welsh Government on the pay rise for teachers announced in that Written Statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department received the School Teachers' Review Body report on 18 May 2018. This report considered the views of a wide range of consultees, including the Welsh Government. In line with previous years, there was no direct consultation between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Welsh Government in respect of the Written Ministerial Statement. Statutory consultees, including the Welsh government, were invited to respond to a consultation on the report, the Government’s response to it, the revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, and accompanying Pay Order.

Multi-Academy Trust Development and Improvement Fund

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Multi-Academy Trust Development and Improvement Fund is planned to continue into the 2019-20 financial year.

Nadhim Zahawi: Funding decisions for future years will be subject to the usual budget processes and these decisions will be made in due course.

Combined Cadet Force

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage the establishment of Combined Cadet Force units in state schools in (a) Kent and (b) England.

Nick Gibb: The Government wants as many pupils as possible to benefit from the life-changing activities offered by becoming a cadet, in Kent and across the rest of England. The Cadet Expansion Programme was launched in June 2012 with the aim to deliver 100 new Combined Cadet Force units in state-funded schools by September 2015. This initial target was delivered six months early, in March 2015. The Government has committed to extend the number of cadet units in UK schools to 500 by March 2020 and the Department is on track to meet this target, with 476 school cadet units established so far, which includes 14 in Kent.

STEM Subjects

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the number of pupils studying STEM subjects.

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the number of pupils studying STEM subjects after the age of 16.

Nick Gibb: The Government tracks the number of people studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at different stages, such as A Level[1], Higher Education[2] and Apprenticeships[3], which are all published online. The Government has taken focused action to increase the take-up of STEM subjects across educational stages. For example, the Department is funding programmes in schools and colleges to increase the take-up of maths (such as the Advanced Maths premium), computing and physics; and to support better teaching of maths, science and computing in schools, including a new £84 million programme to improve computing teaching. The Department is committed to improving STEM careers advice in schools in the recently published Careers Strategy by updating school and college statutory guidance to ensure that students have opportunities to engage with STEM employers and apprenticeships as part of school career programmes. The Department is also involved with and supporting wider government initiatives such as the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) STEM Ambassador programme. BEIS’s and the Department for Education’s programmes (such as STEM Inspiration) include measures to increase participation among under-served groups, such as girls and women. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised.[2] https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/statistical-releases-daily-clearing-analysis-2018.[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships#apprenticeship-starts-and-achievements.

Schools: Staff

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to recruit and retain teachers and teaching staff in (a) Medway, (b) Kent and (c) England.

Nick Gibb: The number of teachers in schools remains high with almost 452,000 teachers in England, 2,500 teachers in Medway and 13,100 teachers in Kent. An additional 32,000 trainee teachers were recruited in England last year. Based on analysis of the School Workforce Census, the Department published a methodology for better understanding local teacher supply, the Supply Index, which demonstrates that variations in teacher supply issues appear at school level, with no geographical trends: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/682023/SFR86_2017_Main_Text.pdf. The Department has also announced a £30 million investment in tailored support for these schools, designed to help schools improve existing plans, join national programmes, build local partnerships or fund new initiatives. Earlier this year, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced a new strategy to drive recruitment and boost retention of teachers across the country which will build upon the existing work already undertaken to support schools and continue to address the national drivers of workload, including through the Workload Reduction Toolkit and the Workload Advisory Group recommendations. The Department has also taken a number of steps to improve this year’s initial teacher training recruitment figures including; increased generous bursaries (worth up to £26,000 for priority subjects); boosting marketing and support to applicants; making it easier to take the skills test; and working with providers to ensure every applicant is accepted who is ready to train to teach.

Ministry of Justice

Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health,EducationandSocialCareChamber) Rules 2008

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for his Department to respond to the Tribunal Procedure Committee consultation on Tribunal Procedure (First-Tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008, published on 22 March 2018.

Rory Stewart: The Tribunal Procedure Committee’s consultation closed on 14 June. The Committee will publish a response to its consultation in due course, which the Ministry of Justice will then consider. The Committee is independent of Government and will set its own timetable.

Women's Residential Centres

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the opening of the five new residential women’s centres announced on 27 June 2018.

Edward Argar: We are working with local and national partners to develop a pilot for ‘residential women’s centres’ in at least five sites across England and Wales.We want to ensure that the models we test are appropriate for their local context. This may require multiple local partners, including those from statutory and voluntary sectors, working together. Therefore, at this stage the timetable is not yet finalised.However, we are undertaking an initial engagement process with stakeholders and potential providers and partners to refine the design and delivery model for the pilot. This is taking place over the next few months and will support our co-design approach for taking forward the pilot.

Probation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average number of cases each probation officer has worked on in (a) the National Probation Service and (b) private Community Rehabilitation Companies in each year since 2014.

Rory Stewart: Figures on the average caseload of probation officers are not collected centrally. A probation worker’s workload is not based solely on the number of cases they are managing, but the level of supervision each case requires.The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics showing the total caseload of the National Probation Service (NPS) and the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies. Figures for total probation caseload are published quarterly in the Offender Management Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners supervised by private Community Rehabilitation Companies were classified as (a) high-risk, (b) medium-risk and (c) low-risk offenders in each year since 2014.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners supervised by the National Probation Service were classified as (a) high-risk, (b) medium-risk and (c) low-risk offenders in each year since 2014.

Rory Stewart: This information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Written Statement of 12 July 2018, on Justice update, HCWS853, whether the reinstatement of legal aid will apply to children located outside of the UK whose cases may fall under (a) the Dublin regulation and (b) section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lucy Frazer: Children located outside of the UK who wish to challenge a decision by the UK government not to accept a request by another EU Member State to transfer their asylum claim to the UK under the Dublin Regulation can do so by means of judicial review, for which legal aid is already available. Under section 67, participating States refer eligible children to the UK to be relocated. There is no individual application process or right to relocation if a person meets the eligibility criteria. Therefore, there is no process for which the individual could require legal aid. We are currently consulting with stakeholders about the reinstatement of legal aid announced in the Written Statement of 12 July 2018, HCWS853, and more information about the policy will be laid out in due course.

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of time that families of child claimants of disability living allowance have to wait between appealing a decision and their tribunal hearing date.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice is in the process of recruiting extra fee-paid judicial office holders. In the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) jurisdiction, which is the part of the tribunal system which deals with disability living allowance appeals, 226 new medical members have already been appointed and up to 125 disability-qualified members are currently being recruited. The SSCS jurisdiction will also benefit from the fact that 250 judges are being recruited across tribunals more widely. In addition, we are developing a new digital system to enable speedier processing of appeals and provide a better service for all parties to the proceedings. These measures will increase capacity, helping to reduce waiting times for appellants.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many claimants of personal independence payment have (a) applied to a tribunal to appeal the decision in their case, (b) had their appeal heard at tribunal and (c) been successful on appeal at the Tribunal in Garston and Halewood constituency in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Information about the volumes and outcomes of appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) is published at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics The information provided below is a further breakdown of these data. Liverpool 1Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 2FYTD 3Receipts 4Total Cleared 5Number cleared at hearing 6Number Decision in Favour 72013-201460231782014-20155433352991352015-20161789137512327072016-201732552464216013662017-201883231262221411435 1. Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) data are normally registered to the venue nearest to the appellant’s home address. We cannot retrieve data based on the appellant’s actual address, but can produce reports detailing the numbers of cases that were dealt with at one of our Regional centres or heard at a specific venue. Appeals within the Garston and Halewood Constituency are heard in the Liverpool venue.2. PIP (New Claim Appeals and Reassessments) which is replacing Disability Living Allowance was introduced on 8 April 2013. As such appeal volumes received by HM Courts & Tribunal Service in 2013-2014 are low.3. By financial year - from April to March.4. Number of receipts for PIP registered to the Liverpool venue.5. The total number of appeals disposed of, inclusive of both those cleared at hearing and those cleared without the need of a tribunal hearing.6. Total number of cases cleared at a tribunal hearing.7. Number found in favour of the appellant.8. Data April 17 to March 18 are provisional data and subject to change Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and are the best data that are available. Latest figures indicate that since PIP was introduced, more than 3.1 million decisions have been made, and of these under 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.

Legal Aid Scheme: Asylum

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that legal aid solicitors have the capacity to meet the demand for their services in relation to complex asylum cases.

Lucy Frazer: The Legal Aid Agency monitors capacity across legal aid contracts on a regular basis and takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of legal advice for the public. At a local level, engagement generally takes place through the LAA’s local contract management team, although wider strategic concerns can also be raised by the profession’s representative groups through the regular engagement meetings the LAA holds with those organisations. The Legal Aid Agency requires that all providers who deliver legal aid to asylum seekers comply with the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme, with such work being overseen by an appointed supervisor of legal aid work for immigration and asylum cases at each firm.

Prisons

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165655, on prisons, whether the 10,000 additional places will (a) add to current capacity, (b) replace some existing capacity or (c) achieve a combination of replacing existing capacity and increasing current capacity.

Rory Stewart: In my answer to Question 165655 I reiterated the commitment to delivering up to 10,000 modern, safe and decent prison places previously announced by this Government. The Prison Estate Transformation Programme is largely designed to replace existing capacity, although we anticipate it will also increase current capacity. Our objective remains to close the least fit for purpose prison accommodation while ensuring we continue to meet demand.Prison population and capacity are kept under careful review to ensure that there is always sufficient capacity. Any decisions on the future size of the prison estate will reflect the current and projected prison population, including an assessment of the necessary margin to manage population fluctuations.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

EU Grants and Loans

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times he and Ministers of his Department have formally met with the Welsh Government since the announcement that his Department will be overseeing the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Jake Berry: My Department continues to work on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). We will want to discuss with the devolved administrations how the Fund might work in their nations, recognising their expertise in delivering the structural funds.The Government will consult publically on the design and priorities of the UKSPF later this year, as announced in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, to make sure it meets the needs of all parts of the UK.

Local Government Finance: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Department has to ensure financial sustainability of Coventry City Council.

Rishi Sunak: Recognising the growing pressures on local authorities, Coventry City Council will receive over £1.2 billion of core spending power during the Spending Review period (2015-16 to 2019-20) to spend on local services.This is an increase of 2.5 per cent (between 2015-16 to 2019-20) and has predominantly not been ringfenced, allowing Coventry Council to prioritise local services.

Local Government Finance: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding for local authorities including Coventry City Council.

Rishi Sunak: Over the five year Spending Review period (from 2015-16 to 2019-20) councils will have access to more than £200 billion to spend on local services. Coventry Council will receive over £1.2 billion of core spending power during this period.In addition to the settlement funding local authorities estimate that in 2018-19 they will keep around £2.4 billion in business rates growth. Based on their 2018-19 forecasts, the Warwickshire Business Rates Pool would receive £31 million above baseline funding level under 50 per cent retention, Coventry would receive an additional £4.5 million as a 100 per cent pilot.(Actual growth may differ from forecast growth. Forecasts are usually higher than outturn figures).

Housing: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that new student accommodation buildings in Coventry are energy efficient.

Kit Malthouse: The Building Regulations already require energy efficient new buildings. The minimum energy performance standard for new buildings has been increased by over 30 per cent since 2010.The next steps for reviewing these energy efficiency requirements are set out in the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out the intention to consult on strengthening energy requirements where it is cost effective, affordable, safe and practical to do so.

Garden Communities

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) new towns, (b) garden cities and (c) garden villages that will have started construction  by the end of the 2017 Parliament.

Kit Malthouse: The Government currently supports 24 garden cities, towns and villages through its Garden Communities programme and sponsorship of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. These are evolving projects at different stages of development. Based on current information and subject to relevant planning processes being completed in each case, we anticipate that 21 of the garden cities, towns and villages supported by Government will have started construction by the scheduled end of the 2017 Parliament in early 2022.

Letting Agents: Fees and Charges

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2016, what progress his Department has made on implementing a ban on tenants' fees.

Rishi Sunak: The ban on letting agent fees to tenants was first announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement. An eight week public consultation ran from April to June 2017, which informed the provisions of the Tenant Fees Bill to ban letting fees paid by tenants. We published the Bill in draft on 1 November and it was scrutinised by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. The Committee made a number of recommendations to refine the Bill on 29 March.The Tenant Fees Bill was introduced to Parliament in the House of Commons on 2 May 2018, received its Second Reading on 21 May with unanimous support, and passed through Committee stage on 12 June. Report and Third Reading are scheduled for 5 September 2018 and the Bill will then move to the House of Lords. However, Parliamentary timetables are subject to change.We are committed to bringing the ban on letting fees as soon as possible but implementation is subject to Parliamentary timetables. We do not expect the ban to be in force before spring 2019.

Retail Trade: Closures

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the level of business rates on the number retail businesses closing.

Rishi Sunak: The majority of businesses saw no change or a fall in their business rates liability following the 2017 revaluation. In addition to the £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme to support those facing increases, the Government has introduced a range of business rates reforms and measures worth over £10 billion to 2023 to support all businesses, including the retail sector.High streets are a crucial part of our communities, and the Government recognises the sector faces challenges. That’s why we recently announced a call for evidence looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing a panel of industry leaders to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on contributions to the public purse of the implications of increases in the building of social rented housing for (a) construction sector contributions to the economy and the exchequer, (b) the cost of temporary accommodation provision, (c) welfare spending, (d) income, corporation and council tax receipts and (e) any other factors.

Kit Malthouse: For all types of affordable housing that are grant-funded by the Government (including Social Rent, Affordable Rent, and Low Cost Home Ownership), we assess the impact that the new homes have on the Housing Benefit bill, as well as the broader economic benefits associated with making more efficient use of land, the distributional benefits of supporting lower-income groups, and the health benefits associated with improved housing circumstances.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2018 to Question 155916 on Social Rented Housing: Construction, whether information on homes developed on surplus public land which has been sold off as part of the Public Land Housing Programme will include figures specifically relating to social rented homes and not just figures for affordable homes when published.

Kit Malthouse: Further to the response to Question UIN 155916 on 26 June 2018, Ordnance Survey has been commissioned to monitor the progress of sites sold through the Public Land for Housing Programmes and is gathering information on the planned number of affordable homes – including those for social rent. This data will be made available in due course.

Hampshire County Council

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what correspondence his Department has received from Hampshire County Council in respect of the devolution proposal made by the three Solent authorities.

Jake Berry: The Secretary of State has received correspondence from Councillor Roy Perry, Leader of Hampshire County Council, in which he gives his reflections on devolution in Hampshire.

Planning: Nature Conservation

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what impact assessment his Department has carried out in respect of the implications of the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment of 12 April 2018, reference C-323/17, for the conservation of natural habitats and proposed revisions to the final National Planning Policy Framework; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to update the revised final National Planning Policy Framework to incorporate the Court of Justice of the European Union's judgment of 12 April 2018, reference C-323/17, on the conservation of natural habitats; and if he will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Government notes that this judgement concerns both the Habitats Regulations and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Government is examining the implications of this judgement closely and is not proposing any changes to the Framework at this stage.

Playing Fields

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what statutory or non-statutory guidance is issued by his Department to local authorities on the process of asset transferring playing pitches to community sports clubs; if he will place a copy of such guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: My Department has not published guidance specifically for local authorities on the process of asset transferring of playing pitches to community sports clubs. However, we have developed over the years a series of guidance and resources to support local authorities and community groups through the process of asset transfer, management and ownership of important community assets such as local sport facilities. The http://www.mycommunity.org.uk/ website holds a wealth of resources on asset transfer and includes a legal process map: https://mycommunity.org.uk/resources/community-asset-transfer-legal-process-map/ and case studies to help local authorities and community groups navigate through complex issues. A useful case study of the transfer of Mitcham Cricket Green can be found at: https://mycommunity.org.uk/case_study/mitcham-cricket-green-conservation-area-conducting-asset-transfers-in-difficult-private-ownership/.Sport England also publishes non-statutory guidance on how organisations can undertake community asset transfer. Guidance and a toolkit can be found at the following link: https://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/community-asset-transfer/about/. Sport England’s asset transfer toolkit provides information on six areas:Understanding Asset TransferGetting StartedGetting Transfer ReadyTaking a Stake in an AssetProperty DevelopmentPremises ManagementThis toolkit complements the free guidance on Sport England’s Club Matters website which is designed for community sports clubs which may be looking at asset transfer for their own club’s development. Please visit: http://www.sportenglandclubmatters.com/club-planning/planning/facilities/community-assets-guidance/.

Playing Fields: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what statutory or non-statutory guidance is issued by his Department to local authorities on the provision and maintenance of playing pitches; if he can place a copy of that guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: Sport England, the arms-length body of government responsible for investing in and supporting grassroots sport, provides a range of sport and physical activity facility management non-statutory guidance on its website. Details of this guidance can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/.Specific guidance on natural turf playing pitches can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/design-and-cost-guidance/natural-turf-for-sport/.

Academies: Sports

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what processes are in place for local authorities to ensure that Academy schools sports facilities can be accessed by third party individuals or organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: We are keen to ensure that sports facilities owned by schools and colleges are used as effectively as possible and are available to a broad range of community sports groups. That is why we have ensured that the school Governance Handbook highlights Sport England's publication 'Use Our School', which provides guidance to schools on how to maximise the use of their facilities.The Use our School guidance can be found here: https://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/use-our-school/.

Playing Fields

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of playing pitches in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: The Sport England's Active Places Power database is a national sports facility database launched by Sport England in 2004 following recommendations from the 2002 Cabinet Office publication ‘Game Plan’. The database supports the planning of facility provision at both national and local levels, to ensure facilities are provided in the right location. The database provides information on facility types and ownership, and currently holds data on just under 40,000 sites at which over 150,000 facilities are located.There are 15 different facility types identified in the database – Sports Halls, Swimming Pools, Artificial Grass Pitches, Cycling, Athletics Tracks, Golf, Grass Pitches, Health & Fitness Suites, Indoor Bowls, Indoor Tennis Centres, Tennis Courts, Squash Courts, Studios, Ice Rinks, Ski Slopes.The data collected for each site includes information about the facility type, location, size, year built, ownership, management, accessibility, operational status (both open and closed), opening times, amongst other details.

Playing Fields: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities (a) directly manage the maintenance of playing pitches and (b) indirectly manage the maintenance of such pitches by using a third party service provider; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: Active Places records are maintained via a combination of a third party Sport England contractor (Adetiq) to collect, validate and maintain sport facility data in addition to individual facility owners and managers who self-maintain information on their own facility records. Changes to the database occur on a daily basis due to a rolling cycle of each record being audited on an annual basis, user feedback, targeted quality assurance checks and new data research projects. For more information see https://www.activeplacespower.com/faqs/all.We are keen to ensure that sports facilities owned by schools and colleges are used as effectively as possible and are available to a broad range of community sports groups. That is why we have ensured that the school Governance Handbook highlights Sport England's publication 'Use Our School', which provides guidance to schools on how to maximise the use of their facilities.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Annual Reports

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which agencies and other public bodies accountable to him will not have published their annual report and accounts for 2017-2018 by 31 July 2018; and what the reasons are for each such body not having done so by that date.

Jake Berry: All agencies and public bodies for which the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is accountable have published their 2017/18 Annual Report and Accounts by 31 July 2018 with the exception of The QEII Centre.The QEII Centre has not published its annual report and accounts by 31 July 2018, although these have been produced and audited. For business reasons it was agreed with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that the annual reports and accounts would be signed, certified and laid following the summer recess.

Temporary Accommodation: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of putting in place provisions for temporary housing to reduce homelessness in London.

Nigel Adams: Temporary accommodation provides an important safety net and means that nobody has to be without a roof over their heads.But the Government remains clear that one person without a home is one too many. We are committed to do more to prevent more people becoming homeless in the first place. That’s why we’ve implemented the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act, which will ensure that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.We have replaced DWP’s Temporary Accommodation Management Fee with a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant which local authorities can use more strategically to prevent and tackle homelessness. This amounts to £615 million over three years from 2017/18.£40 million of this grant has been retained for London to look at improving collaboration on temporary accommodation between boroughs to increase the quality of temporary accommodation in the Capital and deliver greater efficiency in procurement. In April 2017, the Department commissioned a joint study, with London Councils and the Greater London Authority, to consider options. The Department is currently considering the recommendations.We have also announced a new £30 million Rough Sleeping Initiative to tackle rough sleeping. It is focussed on implementing measures that will have a rapid impact from this year as we work to deliver our manifesto commitment to halve it by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. In addition, we will be publishing a Rough Sleeping Strategy shortly to support this work.

Affordable Housing: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes built in London in the last twelve months his Department classes as affordable housing.

Kit Malthouse: 2017/18 statistics for both ‘Affordable Housing Supply’ and ‘Housing supply; net additional dwellings’ have been pre-announced for publication in November 2018.Statistics on the total additional affordable dwellings provided by local authority for 2016/17 (including London boroughs) can be found in Live Table 1008C which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supplyStatistics on net additional dwellings by local authority for 2016/17 (including London boroughs) can be found in Live Table 123, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

Homelessness: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of children in the London Borough of Havering who will be made homeless in 2018.

Nigel Adams: This Government is committed to ensuring everyone including children have a home and we are taking unprecedented action to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.We have committed £1.2 billion through to 2020 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping and fundamentally transformed homeless service delivery through the changes we have made under the Homelessness Reduction Act, ensuring more people get the support they need at an early stage.The Government publishes homelessness and rough sleeping statistics and the latest publication can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics.

Business: Urban Areas

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses on UK high streets that have closed in the last 12 months.

Jake Berry: High streets are a crucial part of our communities. The Government is determined to see our high streets thriving, both now and in the future. We want to see vibrant hubs where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.This is why we have announced that the Department will launch a call for evidence over the summer looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing an expert panel of industry leaders to draw on their experience and expertise to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.In the last 12 months, 51,504 businesses on UK high street closed. Over the same period, 42,166 new business units opened. This is based on Local Data Company Data, which looks at openings and closures of individual units rather than businesses. We do not currently hold data on business closures.

Leasehold

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people affected by problem leaseholds; and what steps his Department is taking to inform those so affected.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In 2015-16, there were 4.2 million leasehold dwellings in England, including 1.4 million houses. While there are examples of leasehold working well, there are also problems including disproportionate costs to extend leases, poor value property management, and a slow and costly sales process.We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows, prohibiting new residential long leases from being granted on houses. We will also introduce legislation so that, in the future, ground rents on newly established leases of houses and flats are set at a peppercorn.The Government intends to consult over the summer on how our plans will be implemented.On 26 June 2018, the Government published How to Lease: a guide for anyone already living in a leasehold property or anyone thinking of buying one.The Government wants to ensure there is appropriate support for existing leaseholders. We are working with the ombudsmen and Trading Standards to provide leaseholders with comprehensive information on the various routes to redress.

Council Housing: Secure Tenancies

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statement in the letter of 13 March 2018 from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Housing and Homelessness) to the hon. Member for Oxford East, whether the statement that the Government wants to support all landlords to offer longer tenancies where they are wanted means that it is the Government's policy that local authorities will be provided with the flexibility to retain secure tenancies as standard in local Tenancy Strategies under the responsibilities conveyed by the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I refer the Hon Member to my answer of June 26 2018 to Quesion UIN156488.

Non-domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the Small Business Multiplier to (a) help small traders and (b) support high streets.

Rishi Sunak: High streets are a crucial part of our communities, and the Government recognises the sector faces challenges. That’s why we recently announced a call for evidence looking at the future of our high streets. We are establishing a panel of industry leaders to diagnose the issues currently affecting our high streets, and advise on the best long-term approach to help their revival.The Government has introduced a range of business rates reforms and measures worth over £10 billion to 2023. This includes increasing the threshold for Small Business Rates Relief, meaning over 600,000 small businesses - occupiers of a third of all properties – pay no business rates at all. We have also brought forward the switch in the annual indexation of business rates from Retail Price Index to the main measure of inflation, currently Consumer Price Index. Bringing forward this measure two years earlier than previously planned is worth £2.3 billion over the next 5 years.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel from each service are based in each local authority of the UK.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The requested information can be found in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Location Statistics. Data as at 1 April 2018 can be accessed at the following address:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/location-of-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-annual-statistics-2018.

Duke of Lancaster's Regiment

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces veterans who have served in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (LANCS) have received treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder  in the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Information on the number of veterans who have served in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) (LANCS) and received treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the last five years is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).The NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations are responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans. Veterans in England, Scotland and Wales receive priority access to NHS secondary care for Service related conditions, subject to the clinical need of all patients. The MOD also provides support through its Departments of Community Mental Health, and the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme.In England, veterans and Service personnel approaching discharge benefit from the NHS England Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (VMH TILs) which increases access to appropriate and timely mental health services. In April 2018 NHS England launched the Veterans Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (VMH CTS) which provides an enhanced service for veterans who have military-attributable complex mental health problems, including PTSD, that have not been resolved earlier in the care/support pathway. Access to the VMH CTS is via a single point of referral from the VMH TILS.Veterans can also access support services via:www.gov.uk/mental-health-support-for-the-uk-armed-forces or call the MOD's Veterans UK helpline on 0808 1914 2 18, Combat Stress 24-hour veterans' mental health helpline on 0800 138 1619 or the Veterans Gateway:https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/

Germany: Army

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the re-basing of the British Army from Germany to the UK.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The programme to deliver re-basing of the British Army from Germany to the UK is on schedule.Defence continues to work closely with other Departments and local providers to ensure schooling, medical and welfare provision for Service personnel and their families as the units return to the UK.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many units of Service Family Accommodation in Germany are currently occupied by Service personnel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are currently 1,403 Service Family Accommodation units occupied by Service personnel in Germany.

Defence: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK companies are participating in the Autonomous Last Mile Resupply project.

Stuart Andrew: Five bids were selected for Phase 2 of the Autonomous Last Mile Resupply Challenge, four of which feature UK-based lead contractors. These are: QinetiQ Ltd; Animal Dynamics Ltd; Barnard Microsystems Ltd; and, Horiba Mira Ltd. The fifth lead is Fleetonomy ai, a Finnish-based company.All of these lead contractors will be utilising broader support from additional UK-based sub-contractors (which include industry and academia) in order to maximise the delivered capability under this phase of the project.

RAF Rapid Capability Office

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the remit is of the Royal Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office.

Mark Lancaster: The Royal Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) supports the delivery of capability to our Armed Forces personnel. RCO programmes extend beyond equipment delivery into information analysis, and people and process improvements. Through this, it aims to enhance capability delivered to the front line. It also explores opportunities presented by emerging technologies, and leverages diversity in thought with novel and innovative ways of working.

Ministry of Defence: Supply Estimates

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what resources his Department received from the Integrated Activity Fund in financial year 2017-18.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the of Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Alistair Burt) on 11 July 2018 to Question 161132 to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Mr Jonathan Edwards).



161132 - Gulf States: Overseas Aid
(Word Document, 21.88 KB)

Military Aircraft: Accidents

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2005 to Question 217295 on Military Aircraft Crashes, whether military personnel and their families were made aware that crossing the English-Scottish border would in the event of death in Scotland result in the loss of the degree of legal protection afforded them by Coroners’ Inquests in the rest of the UK; and if will he now release an un-redacted copy of the Board of Inquiry report to the families.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Due to the passage of time, it has not been possible to establish whether in 1994 military personnel and their families received any briefings on the lack of a mandatory requirement for a Fatal Accident Inquiry in Scotland. I am unable to provide the families of personnel from the 1994 Tornado crash at Glen Ogle with an un-redacted copy of the Board of Inquiry report, as any disclosure must comply with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria his Department use to determine whether an international deployment of the Armed Forces is designated combat or non-combat.

Mark Lancaster: There is no official definition of combat and non-combat operations or a set list of criteria. Each operation is considered in the round to determine its nature.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussed the UK’s first strike policy with the Prime Minister since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK’s first strike capability of the UK leaving the EU.

Gavin Williamson: The Prime Minister is routinely kept updated on matters of national security which includes nuclear issues. In order not to simplify the calculations of any potential aggressor the UK deliberately does not define precisely when, how and at what scale we would use our nuclear weapons. The decision of the UK to leave the EU will not impact on this approach.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 2, paragraph 1.11, how many personnel have been on short notice to move for each of the last five years.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 2, paragraph 1.11, what the average length of notice given was for personnel being called for operational tours by Service for each of the last five years.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 3, paragraph 1.1, on how many occasions in the last 12 months personnel have held acting or temporary ranks for each Service and at what rank.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 8, paragraph 2.7, what the average length of deployment has been by Service in each of the last five years.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 10, paragraph 2.16, on how many occasions Reserve deployments have been cancelled due to gapping in the last 12 months.

Gavin Williamson: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 9, paragraph 2.9, when his Department plans to bring forward further details on future staffing levels and targets.

Gavin Williamson: The staffing levels and targets for Armed Forces manpower levels are already set in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Armed Forces: Job Satisfaction

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 10, paragraph 2.16, what steps his Department is taking to improve morale in the armed forces.

Gavin Williamson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence People and Veterans (Mr Ellwood) on 25 July 2018 to Question 166102 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones).https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-07-19/166102/

Reserve Forces: Health Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 20, paragraph 2.59, what plans his Department has to extend military medical and dental care to reserve personnel on Full Time Reserve Service.

Gavin Williamson: Armed Forces personnel who are undertaking Full-Time Reserve Service (FTRS) on a Full Commitment basis are entitled to receive military healthcare and dental treatment. There are no current plans to extend this cover for those FTRS personnel who serve on a Limited Commitment or Home Commitment basis as Limited Commitment and Home Commitment FTRS have a limited liability to deploy away from their home locations, where they should already have access to such provision under the NHS. If personnel serving on Limited Commitment or Home Commitment were required to deploy on operations, they would first have to be mobilised, and they would then become entitled to receive military medical and dental care for the duration of their call-out and to treat any illness or injury attributable to their mobilised service.All FTRS personnel may be treated by Service medical or dental staff in cases of emergency at their place of duty and are covered by Occupational Health. Occupational Health includes rehabilitation for injuries sustained during training.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 29, paragraph 3.25, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness and understanding of the Armed Forces Pension scheme among armed forces personnel.

Gavin Williamson: As acknowledged in the Armed Forces Pay Review Body report, work to improve communications is under way to ensure that the benefits of the pension scheme are understood by Service personnel. Building on the pension calculator and the 'Service to Civvy' pension awareness campaign already in place, this work includes a rolling programme of presentations to Service personnel to better communicate the value of the scheme; simplifying language and content in our literature and on our websites; simplifying the annual pension statements that Service personnel receive; improving pension-related training for military HR professionals, and working with relevant Service associations.

Armed Forces: Resignations

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Pay Body Review Report 2018, page 34, paragraph 3.45, what plans his Department has to re-examine the policy of Recruitment and Retention Payments being completely removed upon a member of Service personnel submitting their notice to terminate.

Gavin Williamson: There are no current plans to change the policy. The purpose of the Recruitment and Retention Payment (RRP) is to encourage personnel to join and/or remain in Service within specific trades. Removing payment when a Service person submits their notice to terminate ensures that valuable resources can be most effectively used in incentivising personnel to remain in the Armed Forces. In the event that personnel submit their notice of termination, RRP payments are no longer fulfilling their purpose as an incentive and are therefore removed.

Department for Work and Pensions

UNUM

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2018 to Question 153210 on UNUM, which organisations are authorised to award local contracts under the low value procurement process.

Justin Tomlinson: Low Value Provision (LVP) requires that all providers who wish to be considered for providing LVP training must be registered on a central database within ‘Basware’. When providers register on ‘Basware’, they state the training they can deliver and the locations in which they can deliver.A list of fully registered, part registered and those providers whose registration has expired is held centrally and updated each week. There are currently over 9000 providers on the list. UNUM Provident are not currently listed as a local provider. To identify all organisations could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of days is that claimants for universal credit in Garston and Halewood constituency have been sanctioned in the last twelve months for missing appointments.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Statistics on Universal Credit sanction decisions by constituency can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html. Additionally, the latest benefits sanctions statistics for Great Britain can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-april-2018

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Self-employed

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason self-employed individuals are not eligible for injuries disablement benefit.

Sarah Newton: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is payable to employed earners who suffer disablement because of an industrial accident or through contracting a prescribed disease as a result of their work. The underlying principle has always been that benefit should be payable to workers employed under a contract of service. When the Scheme was devised it was accepted that there would be practical difficulties in including self-employed people because the scheme relies on employers to provide evidence that an accident or exposure took place at work. Alongside this practical issue, when the scheme was devised it was decided that self-employed people should do so knowing that it is their responsibility to arrange insurance to cover themselves for financial loss in the event of an industrial injury. However, if a self-employed person has contracted Diffuse Mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos in the United Kingdom they can still claim a lump sum payment from the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme. The government continually reviews the Scheme to ensure that resources are targeted in the most appropriate way and that the scheme remains relevant in the light of changes in the modern world of work, however there are no plans to change the current position regarding self-employed workers.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2018 to Question 146980 on State Retirement Pensions: Females, what the average length of time taken was for a complaint in relation to the equalisation of the state pension age to be (a) received and referred to be Independent Case Examiners Office, (b) allocated to a case manager and (c) investigated by the case manager and a response issued to the complainant.

Justin Tomlinson: The Independent Case Examiner’s Office can only accept a complaint for examination once the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) complaint process has been exhausted. Final complaint responses from DWP signpost complainants to the ICE Office if they remain dissatisfied with the response to their complaint and tell them they have six months in which to do so. In response to: (a) we do not collect information about the average time taken by complainants to escalate their complaint to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office, following receipt of DWPs final complaint response; (b) to date, the average time take to allocate complaints about the equalisation of state pension age to an investigation case manager is 47 weeks; and (c) following allocation to an investigation case manager the average time taken to conclude an investigation into this group of complaints is 9 weeks (against a target of 20 weeks).

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate has she made of the number of women who have seen an increase in the age threshold at which they can claim their state pension as a result of the Government's reforms to the equalisation of the state pension age.

Guy Opperman: The decision to equalise the State Pension age for men and women dates back to 1995 and has been supported by Coalition, Labour and Conservative governments since then.The Office for National Statistics publishes annual mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries. These detail persons by single year of age and sex. The most recent data is for mid-2017 and was released in June 2018. It can be found at the below link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland The State Pension age is currently 64 years and 9 months for women and 65 for men. Female State Pension age will reach 65 in November 2018. State Pension age for women and men will then start to increase to reach 66 by September 2020.The State Pension age timetable, showing when people with different dates of birth reach State Pension age, is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310231/spa-timetable.pdf

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what date she plans for claimants of employment and support allowance who have been underpaid to have received all the back-payments due to them.

Sarah Newton: Further to the latest Written Statement on Employment and Support Allowance – HCWS877 – made on 18 July, we are currently assessing timescales for completion of this exercise. Our aim is for all claimants to receive the benefit they are due as quickly as practicable.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to extend the maximum length of monthly back-pay recipients of industrial injuries disablement benefit can receive if they are subject to an administrative error by her Department, and will she make a statement.

Sarah Newton: If an administrative error occurs when administering Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB), then any benefit due would be paid to the relevant date, there is no specific limit or maximum for this. There is, however, a statutory limit for the backdating of claims which is 3 months prior to the date of the claim: either date of accident or the onset of the prescribed disease. This limit applies where there has been a delay in claiming and not where an administrative error has occurred. There are currently no plans to extend the 3 month time period for the backdating of IIDB claims.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department’s policy is in taking into consideration awards made by the medical appeals tribunal when deciding on benefit entitlement.

Sarah Newton: The recruitment of approximately 150 Presenting Officers, who represent DWP at the First-tier Tribunal is providing valuable insight into why decisions are overturned at appeal, and allowing the Department to identify and make improvements to the claimant journey.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to pay compensation to people who are in debt as a result of employment support allowance underpayments.

Sarah Newton: We will be reviewing all those cases potentially affected and paying any arrears of past payments that are due. Our focus is on paying arrears to claimants in line with the primary legislation.

Universal Credit: ICT

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the fitness for purpose of the universal credit IT system; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: The Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) IT system is an end-to-end digital product designed by DWP, developed using leading Agile and DevOps methodologies. It is designed to meet user needs, avoiding the need to navigate multiple screens; it offers one integrated experience across on-line, telephony and face to face usage. In line with agile methodology the product is being incrementally developed in response to feedback.The system achieved 99.99% availability for claimants in the last year, rivalling the performance of other leading digital services across sectors. The dashboard and notifications allow staff to easily access communication from claimants and vice versa and the recent independent scrutiny by the National Audit Office (NAO) stated the staff they spoke to were positive about the way the programme is being delivered and its response to feedback. The NAO summary states the staff asked felt the system had improved significantly since its initial introduction.

Employment and Support Allowance: South Yorkshire

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Statement of 18 July on employment and support allowance, WS877, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been underpaid in (a) Doncaster and )b) South Yorkshire.

Sarah Newton: We are not able to make an estimate at this geographical level.We are focusing our efforts on contacting all potentially affected individuals to ensure they are paid as quickly as possible.

Poverty

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which initiatives and programmes have been implemented to assist people experiencing personal debt and household poverty since the introduction of the provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Justin Tomlinson: Work is the most effective route out of poverty and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for claimants to move into and progress in work. And it is working, Universal Credit claimants move into work faster and spend more time looking for work than legacy benefit claimants. Universal Support also provides Universal Credit claimants with additional help to manage their monthly Universal Credit payment and possible advice on their finances through Personal Budgeting Support. In addition, we refer claimants to Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service for more specialist debt advice and have also worked with the Money Advice Service to develop a Money Manager Tool.

Public Sector: Sign Language

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many British Sign Language interpreters are available to support hearing impaired people in using public services.

Sarah Newton: The Government does not collect information on numbers of British Sign Language interpreters. The National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCDP), the Association of Sign Language interpreters (ASLI) and the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) are the registration bodies for interpreters in England Wales and Scotland. The British Deaf Association published numbers of British Sign Language Interpreters in October 2015 available at https://bda.org.uk/help-resources/

Universal Credit: Housing

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the criteria are for a social landlord to gain access to the universal credit landlord portal.

Justin Tomlinson: Following the successful pilot of the Landlord Portal Service, DWP is enrolling more landlords in stages, in tandem with the expansion of Universal Credit Full Service. Priority has been placed on enrolling the largest landlords that are eligible where possible in order to maximise the number of UC claimants that can be handled via the portal. When we look at enrolling landlords, we will consider things such as whether Universal Credit has rolled out in their area, the size of the landlord, and the properties that they own. We will then have discussions with landlords that are suitable for enrolling onto the portal. Additionally, whilst there is no formal process for landlords to bid for the portal, interested landlords can liaise with their local Universal Credit Partnership Team regarding potential enrolment.

Jobcentres: Complaints

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when and for what reasons her Department changed its procedures on dealing with members of the Scottish Parliament in respect of access to the Job Centre Complaints’ Resolution Team; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The consent policy has remained the same since it was announced in March 2017. The written statement from March 2017 can be found here: (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-03-13/HCWS528). The system is working well. These arrangements provide the right balance between enabling data security for claimants and swift resolution of any questions or issues raised by the claimant or their representatives. With Universal Credit, for the first time, explicit consent is easy and instantaneous so that Members of the Scottish Parliament, Assembly Members and Councillors can still represent claimants. Claimants can give their explicit consent via their journal, over the phone, or in person when accompanied by their adviser.

Business: Weather

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department issues to businesses on their responsibilities as employers during periods of hot weather.

Sarah Newton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 April 2018 to Question UIN 136530.

Social Security Benefits: Mobile Phones

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with mobile phone providers on enabling their customers to make online claims for benefits and access online information without incurring a mobile data usage charge.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP has not held any discussions with mobile phone providers around free access to online information without incurring a mobile data usage charge.

Disability: Young People

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help young disabled people into work in (a) Medway and (b) England.

Sarah Newton: The Government is committed to building a country that works for everyone and supporting disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to reach their potential. That is why we made the ambitious commitment to see one million more disabled in work by 2027. In November 2017, we published ‘Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability’, which sets out actions we’re taking across the three key settings: the welfare system, workplace and health services. We are taking decisive action to support young disabled people into work. Programmes for young people with disabilities include: Young Person’s Supported Work Experience is being tested for young people aged 18-24 on Employment and Support Allowance and its equivalent in Universal Credit who have little or no work experience. Five Jobcentre Plus districts, are offering a short Supported Work Experience placement with an employer, helping them to gain confidence and encouraging them to look for work.Jobcentre Support for Schools is designed to raise aspirations and advise on routes to work for young people identified as being at risk of becoming not in education employment or training (NEET) or who are otherwise disadvantaged in the labour market, e.g. those with a health or disability issue. Work is focused on students in years 8 to 13.A Local Supported Employment Proof of Concept is being delivered with nine local authorities – including Kent County Council - to target those with a learning disability or autism who are known to adult social care, or those in contact with secondary mental health services. DWP is investing £2.7 million to test an approach which delivers Supported Employment on an outcome-payment basis.

Employment and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of not requiring people with degenerative conditions who were in receipt of employment and support allowance before September 2017 to attend a further face-to-face work capability assessment.

Sarah Newton: From the 29 September 2017 those placed in Employment and Support Allowance’s (ESA) Support Group and the Universal Credit (UC) equivalent who have the most severe and lifelong health conditions or disabilities will no longer be routinely reassessed. For those claiming ESA prior to 29 September 2017, the Severe Conditions criteria will be taken into consideration at their next Work Capability Assessment. People will be asked to complete a health questionnaire, and where appropriate we will ask their General Practitioner or Specialist healthcare professional for further supporting evidence. In the vast majority of cases where the Severe Conditions criteria would apply, we would expect to be able to make a decision without the need for a face-to-face assessment.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of how much lower spending from the public purse on universal credit would have been in 2018-19 in the event that the waiting time for payment of benefit had not been reduced from six weeks to five.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of what the spend from the public purse on Universal Credit benefit payments will be in 2018-19.

Alok Sharma: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 19 July 2018 to Questions 164254 and 164255

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Companies

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on designating water companies as responsible and impartial statutory consultees in the planning system.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead department for designating statutory consultees in the planning application process. The water companies are already statutory consultees on local plan development, and can be consulted on a non-statutory basis for individual planning applications. Requiring water companies to be consulted on every planning application would represent a significant burden, potentially adding unnecessary delay to the planning process.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the implementation of higher maximum penalties for animal cruelty.

George Eustice: The Government will introduce the necessary legislation to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Fly Tipping: Prosecutions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of prosecutions for fly tipping in each year since 2015.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In 2014/15 there were 1,180 prosecutions by local authorities in England for fly-tipping offences with 97.8% of those resulting in a conviction. In 2015/16 there were 2,135 such prosecutions with a 97.9% success rate and in 2016/17 there were 1,571 prosecutions with a 98.4% success rate. The statistics are published annually by Defra and are available here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. They will be updated with figures for 2017/18 in October.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans for the UK wide frameworks on agriculture to cover a joint agreement on the permissibility of the allocation of subsidies to farms that are not commercially viable independent of subsidies.

George Eustice: Each devolved administration will have the freedom to design policies that support their farming sectors and enhance their environment. Common frameworks should only be established where they are necessary and this includes the maintenance of a functioning UK internal market. Provided that policies comply with this framework, each administration can choose which sectors they want to support and which public goods they wish to buy.

Meat: Consumption

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effect on the environment of reducing meat consumption nationally.

George Eustice: Defra has not carried out a recent assessment of the effect on the environment of reducing meat consumption nationally. Defra has previously commissioned research to assess the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of sustainable diets. This research considered a reduction of meat consumption as a variable for some scenarios alongside a number of other variables of the diet.

Real Bread Campaign

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the goals of the Real Bread Campaign; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals in relation to the appropriate labelling and marketing of bread products; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Defra is aware of the Real Bread Campaign’s ‘Honest Crust Act’ campaign. We are satisfied, however, that the Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers and General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 is effective in protecting consumers from misleading labelling and advertising of food. EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires pre-packaged bread to display full labelling information including an ingredients list. The exemption from labelling for loaves sold loose is made for the purpose of reducing unnecessary regulatory burden on small businesses and bakeries, while ensuring the essential information is clear to the consumer. These requirements, together with the guidance on terms such as ‘traditional’, ‘farmhouse’ and ‘homemade’ used by food businesses and trading standards officers, provide robust protection to consumers against misleading labelling.

Food: Production

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what types of Government support are being made available to food producers to help improve their productivity.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to enable technological innovation and productivity to enhance British food production.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to help the poultry meat sector scale up production to support increased self-sufficiency after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: As we leave the EU we want to support farmers to grow more, sell more and export more great British food. We are looking carefully at which policies will support and grow our world leading food and farming industry in a sustainable way that provides added benefits for the environment.   The Rural Development Programme for England includes schemes that provide grants, animal health programmes, and other forms of support to improve the productivity and competitiveness of England’s agriculture sectors, including the poultry sector. The Countryside Productivity Scheme includes the offer of grants towards the costs of innovative technology.   Technological innovation is a key part of this Government’s Industrial Strategy. The £90 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, ‘Transforming Food Production’, will put the UK at the forefront of advanced sustainable agriculture and food production whilst reducing emissions, pollution, waste and soil erosion. Our recent consultations on future agriculture policy also highlighted policy proposals to support research and innovation and knowledge transfer to farms.

Animals: Transport

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for how the (a) Pet Travel Scheme and (b) Balai Directive will operate between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Whilst we remain a member of the European Union, we continue to be signed up to the requirements of the Pet Travel Scheme and the Balai Directive. The rules that will govern the movement of live animals between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU will be a matter for negotiation. The Government recently published its White paper on the Future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. As part of the negotiations on the draft Withdrawal Agreement, the UK and EU have reached an agreement in principle on the terms of a time-limited implementation period. The rules governing pet travel and the Balai Directive would continue to apply throughout any implementation period. In the meantime, we are also putting in place contingency arrangements in the event of a no-deal outcome. Whatever the outcome of negotiations, Brexit doesn’t mean that owners won’t be able to continue to travel to the EU with their pets but there may be changes to the system. The extent of any potential changes will be dependent on the outcome of negotiations.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times a monitor from Natural England is required to visit a proposed badger culling site to assess whether the weather conditions are suitable for a cull.

George Eustice: Defra’s guidance to Natural England states that Natural England should monitor compliance with licence conditions, and that a risk based approach is adopted for site visits. Best practice guidance on cage trapping used by contractors states that traps should be positioned to take advantage of any natural cover available to give trapped animals shelter from the elements, including exposure to wind/rain and overheating from the sun. Operators have a legal responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 not to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal under the control of man – this includes a wild animal held in a trap.   Weather conditions will vary locally within cull areas. The correct placement and checking of traps by operators will mitigate any risks at individual sites. If mitigation measures are unlikely to be effective, then trapping will cease at particular sites until weather conditions change.   Natural England has written to everyone authorised to trap badgers to say they should cease trapping if there is a risk trapped badgers could suffer in the hot weather. Natural England also brought forward the time by which trapped badgers should be culled or vaccinated from midday to 8am – or within 3 hours of dawn – so that badgers are not in traps at the hottest time of day.   Defra’s guidance to Natural England can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-natural-england-preventing-spread-of-bovine-tb.   Best practice guidance on cage trapping can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cage-trapping-and-dispatch-of-badgers-under-licence-to-prevent-the-spread-of-bovine-tb-in-cattle.

Dogs: Imports

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions or other proceedings on illegally imported puppies taken in by Dogs Trust under its puppy pilot quarantine scheme have begun since 2017.

George Eustice: During 2017, two individuals were prosecuted under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and other Mammals) Order 1974 for the illegal importation of puppies by Kent Trading Standards. This action was taken following an interception at Dover Port by Port of Dover Police with the puppies being held at the quarantine premises funded by Dogs Trust. The Animal and Plant Health Agency continues to work closely with enforcement partners to identify opportunities for enforcement action to be taken both at the port of arrival and point of destination.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Annual Reports

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which agencies and other public bodies accountable to him will not have published their annual report and accounts for 2017-2018 by 31 July 2018; and what the reasons are for each such body not having done so by that date.

George Eustice: As per the Government Resources and Accounts Act (2000), there is no legal requirement for agencies or other public bodies to publish their accounts before the January following year end. The Sea Fish Industry Authority (SFIA) and the National Forest Company (NFC) will not have published their annual report and accounts by 31 July 2018. The SFIA has historically presented its completed annual report and accounts after the summer recess. The Authority is working with the Core Department and the National Audit Office with a view to laying and publishing its annual report and accounts at an earlier stage in future years. The NFC converted to a charity in April 2016. It was agreed between Defra and the National Audit Office that the 2017-18 annual report and accounts would be produced after recess, to ensure that the continuing impact of the transfer to charitable status on the business and the accounts are fully understood, and reflected appropriately in the group consolidated accounts.

Pet Travel Scheme

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to continue the existing pet passport scheme once the UK has left the EU.

George Eustice: Whilst we are a member of the EU, we continue to be signed up to the requirements of the pet travel scheme.   The Government is negotiating our departure from the EU and Defra is looking at future arrangements, including those for pet travel. We want pet owners to continue to be able to travel to and from the EU with the minimum of disruption, whilst maintaining high biosecurity and animal welfare standards.   Whatever the outcome of negotiations, owners will be able to continue to travel to the EU with their pets, but there may be changes to the system. The extent of any potential changes will depend on the outcome of negotiations.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to incorporate incentives to improve the accessibility and upkeep of public rights of way in any future scheme of agricultural payments.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to incorporate incentives to enhance and maintain wildlife habitat in any future scheme of agricultural payments.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to incorporate incentives to enhance and maintain (a) heritage buildings, (b) monuments, (c) structures and (d) landscape features in any future scheme of agricultural payments.

George Eustice: The new environmental land management scheme, underpinned by natural capital principles, will contribute to delivering many of the key outcomes set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Clean Growth Strategy. As the cornerstone of future agriculture policy the new environmental land management scheme will pay public money for the provision of public goods. As set out in our consultation document Health and Harmony, the public goods incentivised by the scheme could include: biodiversity, which habitat enhancement and maintenance contribute to; cultural heritage, such as the maintenance of heritage buildings and monuments; and public access.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to incorporate incentives to enhance and maintain higher animal welfare standards in any future scheme of agricultural payments.

George Eustice: The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and we will maintain these once we leave the EU. We have recently consulted on our future agricultural policy, which included proposing using public money to fund public goods including animal welfare. We are considering the responses and will publish a report of the findings in due course.

European Fisheries Control Agency

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to maintain the responsibilities and functions in the UK of the European Fisheries Control Agency (a) when the UK leaves the EU and (b) in the event of the UK leaving the EU in 2019 without an agreement.

George Eustice: The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) is an EU body that organises the operational coordination of fisheries control and inspection activities. It aims to ensure Member States correctly and consistently apply the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).   Once we leave the EU and the CFP, Defra, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Devolved Administrations will continue to cooperate in the enforcement of UK fisheries policies.   The UK intends to maintain strong relationships with operational counterparts in other countries after we leave. We will continue to meet our international obligations for control, inspection and reporting.

Community Fisheries Control Agency

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans for Regulation (EC) No 768/2005 to form part of the common rule book envisaged in the White Paper, The Future Relationship Between the United Kingdom and the European Union, published in July 2018, Cm 9593.

George Eustice: This regulation refers to the European Fisheries Control Agency, an EU body that organises the operational co-ordination of fisheries control and inspection activities. After exit, the UK will continue to cooperate with the EU in shared enforcement action but under terms determined by bilateral agreement rather than under the terms of a common rule book and existing EU regulation. Our proposal is for a free trade area for goods between the UK and the EU. This would be underpinned by a common rulebook, which would cover only those rules necessary to provide for frictionless trade at the border.

Animals and Plants: Disease Control

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preparations his Department has made to ensure that the UK is able to use its border arrangements to protect plant and animal health in the event of no withdrawal agreement being reached pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.

George Eustice: In the event of a non-negotiated departure from the EU, it is essential that we are able to maintain protection against plant pests and diseases while ensuring trade is as frictionless as possible at the border. This is our overarching goal and it is essential both to protect a significant domestic industry and to underpin our ability to trade in plants and their products. We are putting plans in place to ensure this is the case in the event of no withdrawal agreement being reached.

Educational Institutions: Procurement

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage procurement at (a) schools, (b) colleges, (c) universities and (d) other educational establishments to be compliant with high animal welfare standards.

George Eustice: The Government Buying Standards for food and catering services (GBSF) are mandatory for central Government and the NHS, and encouraged in the wider public sector, including schools and other educational establishments. The standards require that all meat and other animal derived products served must have been produced in compliance with UK legal standards for animal welfare. The Government’s balanced scorecard methodology for assessing the value of contract bids, which compliments the GBSF, rewards suppliers who provide produce, products or services which exceed minimum requirements. It includes award criteria for businesses which supply meat raised using enhanced welfare methods. The balanced scorecard is also mandatory for use in central Government departments, and encouraged for use in the broader public sector. Defra is working closely with other Government departments, including the Department for Education, to encourage uptake of the balanced scorecard approach.

Agriculture

Sir Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the White Paper entitled The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, publish in July 2018, Cm 9593, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on innovation within UK agriculture of ongoing harmonisation under a common rulebook set out in that white paper.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the White Paper, The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, publish in July 2018, Cm 9593, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on innovation within UK agriculture of ongoing harmonisation under a common rulebook set out in that white paper.

George Eustice: Our proposal for a common rulebook, as part of a free trade area for goods, would cover only those rules for products that must be checked at the border. It does not cover other rules where we want regulatory flexibility in order to help our sectors to innovate and flourish. In this regard we have already announced that we will be leaving the Common Agricultural Policy and introducing a new agricultural policy that works in the best interests of land managers in England.

Home Office

Fire and Rescue Services: Lancashire

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for the Fire and Rescue Services since the Winter Hill moorland fire in Lancashire.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has provided the fire and rescue services with the support they need to tackle the Moorland fires. This includes providing specialist capabilities, including high volume pumps.Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.3 billion in 2018/19. In 2018/19, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority will receive £53.9 million in core spending power. This is an increase of 0.9% compared with 2017/18. In addition, at March 2017, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority held £36.5 million in reserves, equivalent to 68.5% of core spending power.

Tools: Sales

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether specialist tools for the purpose of DIY are exempted from Article 17 of the Offensive Weapons Bill in relation to online purchase.

Victoria Atkins: Clause 17 of the Offensive Weapons Bill provides the definition of “bladed product” for the prohibition on the delivery of knives and other bladed items to residential addresses under Clause 15 of the Bill. A “bladed product” is an article which is, or has, a blade and is capable of causing serious injury to a person which involves cutting that person’s skin. If ordered online, and meeting the definition of “bladed product”, then these articles would need to be collected from a place where age verification can take place, either by the purchaser or their representative.Specialist tools may be exempted from the prohibition on the delivery to a residential address dependant on the specific item in question.The Bill provides a number of defences around the prohibition of delivery of bladed items to a residential address. For example, deliveries to business premises, including where a business is run from home, would not be affected by the prohibition. Other items that would be exempt from the prohibition would include encased razor blades, knives with a blade of less than 3 inches, knives that cannot cause serious injury, for example table knives and bladed products designed or manufactured to specifications from the buyer such as bespoke knives.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow North, of 9 May 2018, reference PG6427, on behalf of a constituent seeking family reunion advice and support.

Caroline Nokes: I apologise for the delay in responding to your letter of 9 May 2018. The Home Office is required to respond to such correspondence within 20 days; however, given the complexities the case, it was not possible to provide a full reply within that timeframe. A response to your letter is in hand and a substantive response will be sent within the week.

Prostitution

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has undertaken a recent review of international best practice in relation to the criminalisation of prostitution; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has examined different legislative approaches to prostitution around the world, however, we have not yet seen unequivocal evidence that any approach is better at tackling harm and exploitation – and that remains our priority.The Government recognises the strong arguments for commissioning a research project into the prevalence and nature of prostitution in England and Wales and believes that such an evidence base is vital prior to considering any further changes to policy and legislation.The University of Bristol has been granted £150,000 to carry out this research.

Asylum: Housing

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133797 on Asylum: Housing, what criteria (a) his Department and (b) accommodation providers use to assess the particular circumstances and vulnerability of those in dispersed asylum accommodation.

Caroline Nokes: All asylum Accommodation Providers are contractually required to take account of any particular circumstances and vulnerability of those that they accommodate, including those who have health care issues. In addition Providers must comply with national and local housing regulations including those regarding room sharing. There are strict criteria set out in the contract around when room sharing can take place and who can share a room. Providers must also comply with local regulations including advice from social services and primary and secondary care bodies on whether room sharing is inappropriate for individual cases.In accordance with our published policy, the Home Office will carefully consider all requests on a case by case basis from asylum seekers who may have particular vulnerabilities, care needs or health problems that necessitate a need for a specific location or specialist accommodation requirements. Further details regarding this policy can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policy

Asylum: Housing

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133797 on Asylum: Housing, what information his Department holds on the number of incidences of forced room sharing of asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation in each (a) local authority and (b) region.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133797 on Asylum: Housing, how many asylum seekers have been placed into forced bedroom sharing in dispersed asylum accommodation in each of the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: The use of individual properties across provider’s portfolios changes daily subject to demand. Information on the current number of bedrooms shared between unrelated individuals in local authorities could only be provided at disproportionate cost by examination of individual provider property records.

Asylum: Housing

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133797 on Asylum: Housing, which regions have not secured compliant bids under the tendering process for the new asylum accommodation contracts.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office did not receive compliant bids for the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) for the following two regions:North East, Yorkshire & Humber (NEYH), andNorthern Ireland (NI).We are now in the process of re-competing these two regions under a linked but separate procurement and this is currently out to market. We remain confident of having fully operational contracts before the expiry of the current COMPASS contracts, with sufficient time to properly transition the services.

Immigration: Appeals

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to allow people who are affected by paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Rules to work during the course of any appeals and judicial reviews.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s position on this point was set out in my letter to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, the Rt Hon Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, dated 21 June 2018, that I copied to the Hon. Lady and deposited in the House Library. It can be found at: https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/Correspondence-17-19/180621-Immigration-Minister-paragraph-322(5).pdf

Sexual Offences

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on support for victims of sexual violence to secure employment and training opportunities.

Victoria Atkins: I meet regularly with my Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions, and across Government to discuss how we can work together to better support victims of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), including Sexual Violence. The Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance attended our Inter Ministerial Group on VAWG on 27 June.The Government has made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority. It is important that victims receive the support they need and as part of the Ending VAWG Strategy refresh, the Home Office is discussing with all departments what more they can do. The process is also informed by our partners in the third sector, including organisations who provide support to victims of sexual violence. The refreshed Strategy will go further in the areas where our partners tell us there is more to do.

Corrosive Substances

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2018 Question 158653, when he plans to publish the scientific advice commissioned by his Department on the corrosive products and concentration limits set out in Schedule 1 of the Bill.

Victoria Atkins: We have provided the scientific advice prepared by the Government’s advisors at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on the corrosive substances and concentration levels set out in Schedule 1 of the Offensive Weapons Bill, to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Offensive Weapons Bill. A copy of the advice will be placed in the House Library.

Asylum

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure greater consistency in the accuracy of decision making for all nationalities of asylum applicants.

Caroline Nokes: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.We continue to work to improve the quality of decision-making to ensure that we properly consider all the evidence provided and get decisions right the first time. UK Visas and Immigration has an internal audit process, consisting of reviews by senior case workers and independent auditors, which assesses the quality of decisions and the application of Home Office policy.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to publish the  Withdrawal and Implementation Bill White Paper.

Suella Braverman: A White Paper titled ‘Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union’ was published 24th July 2018. This is available on the Government website.

Brexit

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what is the last date on which a decision can be made that no deal has been struck with the EU before the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.

Mr Robin Walker: We want a positive future relationship with the EU encompassing both economic and security cooperation and we have published our White Paper on the future relationship setting out in detail how we want to work together in the future. We are confident that this is in the interests of both sides and we are working with the EU’s negotiating team at pace to agree the terms of our future relationship alongside the Withdrawal Agreement later this year.At the end of that process, Parliament will have a vote. The vote offered by Government to Parliament will be either to accept or reject the deal. If the Withdrawal Agreement and the framework for our future relationship are not approved by the House of Commons, the Government will be unable to ratify the withdrawal agreement. As a matter of international law, the EU Treaties will cease to apply to the UK on 29 March 2019. .

Department for Exiting the European Union

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to list meetings of his Department attended by (a) staff of Global Council and (b) the European Round Table of Industrialists.

Mr Robin Walker: Ministers and officials continue to engage broadly with business across the economy, in the UK and across Europe. This ensures that we can draw on business insight to deliver a pragmatic and principled Brexit.All ministerial and senior official engagements are listed in the quarterly transparency returns.There has been no engagement between the Department and staff of Global Counsel.The former Secretary of State, David Davis, met with a delegation from the European Roundtable of Industrialists on 22 January 2018 and again on the 30 May 2018, this time with the Prime Minister. Official-led engagement supplemented this engagement.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the (a) formal and (b) informal reporting lines are between staff of his Department and HM Treasury.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) staff do not report to HM Treasury, or any other department. Our staff work in close collaboration with departments across Whitehall to co-ordinate the Government’s preparations for leaving the EU.DExEU works closely with HM Treasury as it fulfils its rule to coordinate Government preparations for EU exit, including domestic preparations in both a deal and a no deal scenario, all of the necessary legislation and preparations for the negotiations to implement the detail of the Future Framework.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the (a) formal and (b) informal reporting lines are between staff of his Department and the Cabinet Office Europe Unit.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) staff do not report to the Cabinet Office or any other department. Our staff work in close collaboration with departments across Whitehall to co-ordinate the Government’s preparations for leaving the EU.DExEU works closely with the Cabinet Office Europe Unit (COEU) supporting the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU on the Government’s preparations for leaving the EU.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to list each external economist who has met staff of his Department's Planning and Analysis Directorate.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Ministers and officials from across Government regularly engage with a range of external experts and other stakeholders to understand their concerns and priorities regarding our EU exit.In line with Cabinet Office guidance, it is not standard practice to provide details of official level meetings. Details of Ministerial and senior officials’ meetings are published in the Department’s transparency returns on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-exiting-the-european-union&publication_type=transparency-data

Immigration Controls: EU Countries

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government has had discussions with (a) the EU and (b) EU Member States on the UK citizens retaining the ability to use EU only  customs and passport queues at European airports and ports once the UK has left the EU.

Suella Braverman: In the Department’s White Paper: The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the Government has said that the UK will seek reciprocal arrangements with the EU that ensure smooth passage for UK nationals when they travel to the EU, for example on business or on holiday.The details of these arrangements will be discussed as part of our ongoing negotiations with the EU on our future relationship.

Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many countries which have service agreements with the UK which are contingent on UK membership of the EU have agreed that those agreements will (a) be rolled over during a transition period and (b) continue once that period is over.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is working to secure continuity of our existing international agreements as we leave the EU. A number of these agreements include service-related elements, such as services chapters in existing EU Free Trade Agreements. The EU and UK agreed at the March European Council that, during the implementation period, the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements and that the EU will notify third parties to these agreements to this effect. This approach provides certainty and confidence that there will be no disruption to existing relationships underpinned by international agreements. A number of countries have already publicly welcomed the approach.  We are also engaging with partner countries to put in place successor agreements that replicate the effects of existing agreements as far as possible and will come into force following the implementation period. Our discussions with our international partners show a willingness to deliver continuity across these agreements.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Economic Analysis

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish documentation for the computable general equilibrium model used by the Planning and Analysis Directorate.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is undertaking a wide range of ongoing analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. This analysis supports our negotiation of our future partnership with the EU, and informs our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that would reveal our negotiating position and so the Government will not provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work.The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision. This will be the right time for the Government to present its work.

Department for Exiting the European Union: European Round Table of Industrialists

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings have taken place between officials of his Department and representatives of the European Round Table of Industrialists since July 2016.

Suella Braverman: Ministers and officials in the Department continue to engage with business in the UK and across Europe to explain our approach for a principled Brexit, and ensure that we can draw on business insight to deliver a pragmatic one.The previous Secretary of State met the European Roundtable of Industrialists in January 2018, and again with the Prime Minister in May of this year. Official-led engagement has supplemented this engagement.Details of these engagements, along with all other ministerial and senior official engagements, is available through the quarterly transparency returns.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Business

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings with representatives of businesses headquartered (a) outside the UK and (b) within the UK have been arranged by his Department's Directorate of Communications and Stakeholders since July 2016.

Suella Braverman: Ministers and officials continue to engage across all sectors of the economy.Since the Department was established Ministers have had over 500 engagements with stakeholders, many of which have significant international operations. In addition, the Ministerial team has undertaken 72 visits to Member States since July 2016, many of which have included engagements with businesses in those countries.All engagements are listed in the quarterly transparency returns.Ministers and officials will continue to engage broadly across the UK and internationally so that we can achieve a deal that is in the mutual interest of both sides.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Meetings

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what meetings have taken place between officials of his Department and representatives of (a) CER, (b) the CBI, (c) the Institute of Directors, (d) Greenpeace, (e) Oxfam, (f) Friends of the Earth, (g) British Chambers of Commerce, (h) Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and (i) the EEF in the last twelve months.

Suella Braverman: Ministers and officials continue to engage with a wide selection of stakeholders - both business and civil society - across the country and the economy to discuss their priorities and issues as we leave the European Union. Details of ministerial and senior official meetings are provided in the quarterly transparency returns.

Treasury

VAT: Ports

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse on not collecting VAT at UK ports after the UK leaves the EU.

Mel Stride: After the UK leaves the EU, goods brought into the UK from the EU and non-EU countries will continue to be subject to VAT as they are now. HM Revenue and Customs will continue to promote compliance and tackle avoidance and evasion to support a level and competitive playing field for law abiding UK businesses.

VAT: Dover Port

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much VAT was raised from goods coming through the Port of Dover in 2017.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold the requested information. Most goods passing through the Port of Dover into the UK are EU acquisitions. VAT registered businesses account for VAT due on EU acquisitions via their domestic VAT returns. Information on the specific point of entry for EU acquisitions is not collected as part of this process.

Public Sector: Pay

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of public sector pay in the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government’s pay policy has always been designed to strike the right balance between being fair to public servants and being fair to all those, including public sector workers themselves, whose taxes pay for them.That approach has not changed, and the Government continually assesses that careful balance. The current assessment is that salaries in the public sector are, on average, comparable to those in the private sector with the additional benefit of higher pension entitlements in many cases.The ONS publishes the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which includes median gross annual earnings in the public sector. A time series of this data from 1997 to 2017 can be accessed via the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/ashe1997to2015selectedestimates

Treasury: Public Bodies

Chris Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contractors employed in (a) the Government Actuary's Department, (b) HM Revenue and Customs,(c) HM Treasury Group, (d) National Savings & Investments, (e) Office for National Statistics, (f) Royal Mint, and (g) Valuation Office Agency are paid £1,000 or more per day.

Robert Jenrick: HM Revenue and Customs currently makes use of 2 contractors in that category. There are none being employed at the others.

Treasury: Public Bodies

Chris Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many contractors employed in(a) the Government Actuary's Department, (b) HM Revenue and Customs, (c) HM Treasury Group, (d) National Savings & Investments, (e) Office for National Statistics, (f) Royal Mint and (g) Valuation Office Agency are paid £650 or more per day.

Robert Jenrick: HM Revenue and Customs currently makes use of 29 contractors in that category and the Valuation Office Agency currently makes use of 2. There are none at the others.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Chris Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff are employed by HMRC in each region; and how many staff will be employed in each HMRC regional hub when those hubs become fully operational.

Mel Stride: The number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff currently employed by HMRC in each region and the number expected to be based in each HMRC regional centre are set out in the table below. Additionally HMRC will be retaining a Headquarters, five specialist sites and eight transitional sites which will remain operational after the opening of the regional centres. The Ipswich Transitional Site will become a specialist site in 2026. The figures included in the table are what have been announced to date. HMRC is still finalising its plans for its regional centre in Nottingham and for the second phases of Glasgow and Manchester. RegionCurrent FTE @ 31/07/2018Regional CentreFTE Specialist SiteFTETransitional siteFTE Scotland7,459Edinburgh2,680Gartcosh260East Kilbride1,100Glasgow (Phase 1)2,670Northern Ireland1,725Belfast1,780Wales3,899Cardiff3,600North East9,606Newcastle6,250  Washington2,100North West10,875Liverpool4,100Manchester (Phase 1)2,400  Salford2,500PrestonNot yet finalisedYorkshire & the Humber4,016Leeds3,850West Midlands3,798Birmingham2,650Telford600  East Midlands3,046Nottingham3,450South West1,297Bristol1,650London, South East and East12,231Croydon2,700Dover140Reading550Stratford3,800Worthing900Portsmouth850Westminster HQ1,000Ipswich – from 2026-2027450Ipswich – until 2026-27450Canary Wharf* *Currently Canary Wharf is a transitional site and staff based there will move to the Stratford Regional Centre. The staff numbers are included in the relevant regional information above.  In addition to the above, HMRC will be retaining existing buildings in Liverpool until 2022/23, Southend, Alexander House until the end of 2022 and Dundee, Sidlaw House until spring 2022.

Housing: Construction

Chris Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18, HC 1282, what assessment he has made of the effect of the implementation of VOA's Target Organisational Model on delays in Billing Authorities receiving the New Homes Bonus.

Mel Stride: The Valuation Office Agency expects to clear a similar number of cases that contribute to the payment of the New Homes Bonus this year as it did last year.

Valuation Office Agency: Staff

Chris Law: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 22 of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Business Plan 2017-19, what estimate he has made of the  reduction in the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the VOA over the spending review period.

Mel Stride: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Business Plan for 2017-19 estimated a reduction of approximately 1000 full-time equivalent staff by 2019-20. The Chancellor’s 2018 Spring Statement announced the bringing forward of the business rates revaluation to 2021 and triennial revaluations going forward. The VOA are currently reviewing the requirements needed to meet these commitments.

Small Businesses: Tax Yields

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax revenue accrued to the public purse from small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15, (c) 2015-16, (d) 2016-17 and (e) 2017-18.

Mel Stride: Total tax revenue accrued by small and medium-sized enterprises was estimated to be around a) £160bn in 2013/14, and b) around £170bn in 2014/15. Equivalent estimates for later years are not readily available, but an estimate for 2015/16 will be available in Autumn 2018. These estimates include Self-Assessment Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NICs), Corporation Tax, VAT, and Pay As You Earn Income Tax and Class 1 NICs. The definition of small and medium-sized enterprises used is consistent with the EU definition where possible. HMRC works to collect the tax due under UK law from all businesses, large or small, in the most cost effective way.

UK Trade With EU

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is the policy of the Government that EU member states should apply UK tariffs and trade policy at the EU border for goods intended for the UK.

Mel Stride: The UK has proposed a Facilitated Customs Arrangement (FCA), which would see the UK mirroring the EU’s customs approach to ensure all goods destined for the EU have complied with EU customs processes - thus removing the need for customs processes between the UK and the EU. As set out in the White Paper ‘The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union’, the UK will seek to negotiate a reciprocal tariff revenue formula, which would account for goods destined for the UK entering via the EU and goods destined for the EU entering via the UK.

Public Expenditure: Yorkshire and the Humber

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on overall public spending per capita in (a) Barnsley, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Elizabeth Truss: With regard to parts (a) and (b) of the question, the government does not hold information on overall expenditure at the level requested. However, per capita expenditure for Yorkshire and the Humber for the periods 2012-13 to 2016-17 is shown below as sourced from the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) command paper.Total identifiable expenditure on services in Yorkshire and The Humber, per head 2012-13 to 2016-17Financial year£ per head2012-1384902013-1485232014-1587012015-1688042016-178810Source: PESA 2018A link to the latest PESA edition is also provided below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-2018 Table 9.2 will be of interest as it shows total identifiable expenditure on services by country and region, per head between 2012-13 and 2016-17.

Government Departments: Contracts

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) he, (b) his permanent Secretary or (c) Ministers of his Department plan to meet representatives of (i) Beatty, (ii) Barclays, (iii) Dalmore Capital, (iv) Equitix, (v) Innisfree, (vi) Interserve, (vii) Semperian and (viii) Veolia before April 2019.

Robert Jenrick: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel The Department does not keep similar records for future meetings.

Sanitary Protection: VAT

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been raised for the public purse as a result of the application of VAT on sanitary products in each of the last five years.

Mel Stride: Sanitary products are subject to the 5% reduced rate of VAT, the lowest rate permitted under current EU VAT rules. Until the UK leaves the EU, we remain a full member with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails. Finance Act 2016 included legislation to introduce a zero rate of VAT for sanitary products at the earliest opportunity. HMRC estimates that VAT receipts from the sale of sanitary products are approximately £15m in each of the last five years. In 2015, the Government announced a new fund awarding an equivalent £15 million a year to projects that improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged women and girls. Since 2016, over eighty charities have received grants totalling £47 million from this Tampon Tax Fund.

Sugar: Taxation

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue is projected to be raised in the 2018-19 financial year from the sugar tax.

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been collected since the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy; and that money has been spent on.

Robert Jenrick: As set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook in March 2018, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) is expected to accrue £240m in 2018-19. The figure for the amount of revenue collected since the introduction of the SDIL was published on 21st August in the HMRC Tax & NIC Receipts publication at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-ukNote that these figures published on a receipts basis, with first SDIL payments due by 30th July 2018. The 2016 Budget announced funding for a number of programmes linked to the revenue from SDIL. The Department for Education will receive £575 million during the current spending review period. The funding has been allocated to a number of programmes to support pupil health and wellbeing which include: Double funding for the primary physical education and Sport Premium to £320 million a year from 2017. The Department for Education and the Department of Health contribute £100 million and £60 million per year to the premium respectively, with the Soft Drinks Levy funding contributing £415 million over the remainder of the current spending review period. Provide £100 million in 2018/19 for the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund. Provide up to £26 million to kick-start or improve breakfast club provision in over 1,700 schools. Expected revenue from the levy during the Spending Review period is £485 million for the UK as a whole. The total funding provided for these programmes in England is £575 million.

Public Expenditure: North East

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish what information his Department holds on overall public spending per capita in (a) Jarrow Constituency (b) South Tyneside and (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the North East since 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: With regard to parts (a), (b) and (c) of the question, the government does not hold information on overall expenditure within these constituencies. However, per capita expenditure for the North East is shown in the table below as sourced from the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) command paper. Total identifiable expenditure on services in the North East, per head 2010-11 to 2016-17Financial year£ per head2010-1193302011-1292452012-1392842013-1493772014-1594512015-1695852016-179680Source 2010-11: PESA 2016Source 2011-12: PESA 2017Source 2012-13 to 2016-17: PESA 2018 A link to the latest edition of PESA is provided below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-2018 Table 9.2 will be of interest as it shows total identifiable expenditure on services by country and region, per head between 2012-13 and 2016-17. Table 9.2 data for earlier years can be found in past editions of PESA. For example data back to 2011-12 is available in the 2017 edition of PESA, whilst data for 2010-11 is available in the 2016 edition. A link to a webpage collecting past and present editions of PESA is provided below:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-pesa

Sugar: Soft Drinks

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of the sugar tax on reducing the sugar content of soft drinks.

Robert Jenrick: The Levy is designed to tackle childhood obesity by incentivising producers and importers to reduce the amount of added-sugar in the drinks they sell. So far, over half of all drinks that would otherwise have been in-scope have reduced their sugar content. Public Health England have also released ‘Sugar reduction: report on first year progress’ which shows that soft drinks manufacturers are leading the way in reducing sugar in their product.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sugar-reduction-report-on-first-year-progress

Sugar: Soft Drinks

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the soft drink industry on reducing the levels of sugar in their drinks.

Robert Jenrick: Prior to the implementation of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy officials regularly met with stakeholders from across the soft drinks sector to hear their views on the Levy. So far, over half of all drinks that would otherwise have been in-scope of the levy have reduced their sugar content. Details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published at HMT ministers' meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel - GOV.UK

Sugar: Food and Drinks

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had any discussions on extending the soft drinks industry levy to other high sugar consuming food and drink.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury keeps all taxes under review to ensure they are effective and fair, however there are no current plans to extend the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) to other foods and drink beyond the already announced review of the exemption from SDIL for milk drinks in 2020.

Treasury: Meetings

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings have taken place between officials of his Department and representatives of (a) CER, (b) the CBI, (c) the Institute of Directors, (d) Greenpeace, (e) Oxfam, (f) Friends of the Earth, (g) British Chambers of Commerce, (h) the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and (i) the EEF in the last twelve months.

Robert Jenrick: There were no meetings held between senior Treasury officials and the organisations listed during April 2017 to March 2018. Senior Treasury officials’ meetings and hospitality are published quarterly and can be found at the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel Details of meetings taking place between non-senior officials and the listed companies are not readily available and would cost a disproportionate amount to identify and report

Sugar: Consumption

Jim Shannon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the soft drinks industry levy on sugar consumption levels in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The Levy is designed to tackle childhood obesity by incentivising producers and importers to reduce the amount of added-sugar in the drinks they sell. So far, over half of all drinks that would otherwise have been in-scope have reduced their sugar content. Public Health England have also released ‘Sugar reduction: report on first year progress’ which shows that soft drinks manufacturers are leading the way in reducing sugar in their product.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sugar-reduction-report-on-first-year-progress

Private Finance Initiative

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the most recent guidance on the use of PFI and PF2 issued by his Department is; and when that guidance was last updated.

Robert Jenrick: The most recent guidance issued by HM Treasury on the use of Public Private Partnerships is in the Green Book, an updated version of which was published on 6 March 2018.

Students: Loans

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has made to the Office for National Statistics on their work on considering alternative treatments for student loans in the national accounts.

Elizabeth Truss: National accounts classification decisions are the responsibility of the independent ONS, following international accounting standards. The Treasury assist the ONS in collating information that is pertinent to their decisions.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Telecommunications: Reviews

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 154 of the Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the review of the telecoms market.

Margot James: The Government published its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Strategy on 23 July 2018. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-telecoms-infrastructure-review

Broadband: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of (a) homes and (b) premises in each parliamentary constituency in Cumbria have access to superfast broadband.

Margot James: The Department does not distinguish between homes and businesses. According to Thinkbroadband currently 92.6% of premises in Cumbria have access to superfast speeds (http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/cumbria,E10000006). This is up from 0.6% coverage in 2010. The local project ‘Connecting Cumbria’ holds data at a constituency level.

Data Protection: Members

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which statutes govern the use by hon. Members of the personal data of their constituents.

Margot James: The Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply to the processing of personal data undertaken by elected representatives and political parties. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations are also relevant because they regulate the use of telephone calls, emails and texts for direct marketing purposes, including political campaigning.  The Information Commissioner's Office has published guidance for political parties and elected representatives on the steps they should take to comply with the law, this can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/political/